Nine die in rain-related incidents in K-P, Punjab

MIRANSHAH:

Heavy rains wreak havoc in Bannu of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where building collapses killed six people and injured dozens of others on Sunday, while three others died in two rain-related fatal incidents in Punjab, rescuers in the two provinces said.

In Bannu a heavy downpour caused widespread destruction, with buildings collapsing at two different locations. Rescue 1122 teams said at least six people lost their lives, while more than 30 sustained injuries, several of them critically.

In one incident, Rescue 1122 said three people died at Shahbaz Azmatkhel Mosque in the Kotka Ghulam Qadir. The deceased were the wedding guests, who had taken shelter in the mosque veranda, which collapsed. Several people were trapped under the debris.

Rescue 1122 teams, assisted by local residents shifted the injured to the District Headquarters Hospital and Khalifa Gul Nawaz Hospital. The bridegroom, Khalid, was among the 25 injured, according to initial reports.

The other tragic incident occurred in Warishmi Kalah Mandan, where the roof of a dilapidated house collapsed, killing three children and critically injuring two others. Rescue officials stated that the house belonged to Sher Muhammad, and his five children were inside the room when the roof caved in.

Two children were rescued and shifted to hospital after receiving first aid, but his two daughters and a son succumbed to their injuries. Bannu Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Faheem visited the District Headquarters Hospital and the authorities to ensure adequate treatment of the injured.

The K-P PDMA said on Sunday that eight people had died in rain-related incidents in the province since March 25.

 

Punjab

In Lahore, two people died and two others were injured when heavy rain and powerful winds caused the roof of a house in the Badami Bagh area to collapse in the early hours of Sunday. Emergency teams cleared the debris, ensuring no one else was trapped.

A separate rain-related incident in Bahawalpur district claimed the life of a 70-year-old man. The elderly motorcyclist slipped on a wet road in the Tail Wala area of Yazman tehsil and sustained a fatal head injury. Rescue officials reached the scene and handed over his body to relatives.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned that strong winds, thunderstorms, lightning, and heavy rain are likely to continue until Monday (today) in parts of the country, with some areas at risk of flash flooding.

Northern Balochistan districts - including Zhob, Musakhel, Sibi, Kohlu, Barkhan, Naseerabad, and Loralai - are particularly vulnerable, while local streams in upper and central K-P and Azad Kashmir may overflow.

According to PMD, most areas will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies, with scattered rain expected in K-P, upper and central Punjab, Islamabad, north-eastern Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kashmir.

Isolated showers may occur in southern Punjab and Sindh, and hail accompanied by strong winds could damage weak infrastructure. In Sindh, cities, including Karachi, Hyderabad, Badin, Thatta, and Umerkot may experience above-normal winds.