The city witnessed a rainfall of over 136mm in a continuous eight-hour downpour, leaving at least two people dead and eight others injured in incidents of roof collapse on Thursday.
According to a Punjab Rescue 1122 spokesperson, teams of rescuers responded to several emergency calls as heavy rains battered various parts of Lahore.
A two-year-old girl, Zainab, died in a roof collapse near the Lahore Railway Station. Bushra Bibi, aged 25, Afzal, 45, and Abdul Waheed, four, were injured.
In Nishtar Colony, Basheer, aged 50, lost his life, while Nabeela Bibi, 42, and Tahira, 22, were critically injured in a roof collapse. A roof collapse at a cattle shed on Ganj Bakhsh Road in Ichhra injured Rafaqat, 32, and Ahsan, 45. At Taxali Gate, Rasheeda Bibi, 60, was injured when the roof of her house caved in.
A man was injured in Harbanspura when his motorbike slipped, while another suffered injuries after falling near the New Ravi Bridge. Injures due to motorbike accidents were also reported from Ali Raza Abad and Wahdat Colony. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif issued directives to ensure preventive measures against urban flooding in view of continuous torrential rains.
She ordered clearance of the central and internal roads of every city at the earliest.
The chief minister directed the authorities concerned to intensify efforts for the early drainage of rainwater from the low-lying areas along with continuous monitoring of the efforts.
She directed Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) officials to ensure prompt implementation of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority's (PDMA) standard operating procedures (SOPs).
According to Rescue 1122, at least four people died and 40 others were injured across Punjab due to the heavy downpour and storms over the past 24 hours.
The spokesperson said that in Sheikhupura's Mirza Virkaan area, two-year-old Arham and five-year-old Hurram lost their lives after a roof collapse, while two others suffered injuries.
On Jandiala Road, a child was injured following a wall collapse. In Jhamke village, a bamboo roof collapse injured two people, and another was hurt due to a roof collapse in Narang Mandi.
In Vehari, incidents of roof and wall collapses in areas including 23WB, Muslim Town Stop, 19WB, and 57WB resulted in injuries to four people.
An incident involving fallen solar plates in Chak 59WB injured a person.
Bhakkar's Link Road area also saw a person injured after a wall collapsed.
Meanwhile, in Dera Ghazi Khan, three residents suffered injuries when a roof caved in.
At Attock's Babu Chowk, heavy rains and urban flooding trapped a family inside their home, leaving six people injured. Rescue teams provided medical aid and evacuated the victims to safety. Two people were injured in Sahiwal.
Okara's Muzaffar Colony recorded two injuries due to roof collapse, while a wall collapse in Chak 6/4L caused injuries to one resident.
In Sialkot's Chak Gullan Diska, a roof collapse injured one person, and in Rajanpur's Kotla Malam, falling solar plates injured another.
The Rescue 1122 spokesperson urged the public to exercise caution amid ongoing adverse weather conditions.
Local government officials said that major roads and underpasses in Lahore, including Dharmapura, Ferozepur Road, Iqbal Town, Samanabad, Mughalpura, Beijing and Shadman underpasses were cleared of accumulated rainwater in a few hours. Model Town, FC College, Nishtar Town, Zahoor Elahi Road underpass, Girja Chowk and Shalamar Link Road were also reopened.
WASA teams addressed blockages in storm water drains and completed emergency cleaning to ensure uninterrupted drainage.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said, "I commend those WASA officials who stood in torrential rain for hours to ensure the city's drainage."
She also urged citizens to avoid unnecessary travel during such weather and assured them of the government's proactive approach in managing emergencies.
The Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) also assisted WASA in identifying and managing drainage problems during the rains.
According to a spokesperson, using virtual patrols and surveillance cameras, the PSCA provided WASA real-time updates on waterlogging and sewage blockages in various areas. The spokesperson said monitoring had been intensified in low-lying areas to ensure timely drainage.
With additional input from APP
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