Record rains inundate Gujranwala, Gujrat

Record-breaking monsoon rains lashed Gujranwala and Gujrat, killing at least five people, including two children, injuring four others and paralysing daily life as roads, markets and residential areas were submerged under floodwater.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, Gujranwala received a record 250mm of rainfall, while Gujrat recorded 153mm during the first major monsoon spell of the year.

The downpour, which began around 11:30pm and continued intermittently throughout the night, inundated roads, streets and low-lying neighbourhoods across Gujranwala. Water entered homes, shops and markets, while several areas remained flooded due to ongoing development work by the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), which had not been completed before the monsoon despite earlier assurances.

At Awan Chowk, the mud roof of a house collapsed, injuring six-month-old Muees Ali and 25-year-old Samra.

On Tatlay Aali Road, a labourer was killed and two others injured after the wall of a rice mill collapsed during the rain.

In another incident in Bakhtewala, a young man, Hanan Butt, was electrocuted in rainwater near an electric pole. Family members said he had been married seven months ago.

A roof collapse on Nowshera Road claimed the lives of seven-year-old Shaheen and six-month-old Shan Ali. The mud-and-wood roof of a first-floor room caved in. Rescue 1122 teams shifted 33-year-old Salma and 10-year-old Sana to the district headquarters hospital with injuries, while five-year-old Khadija received first aid at the scene.

Another rain-related roof collapse occurred in Zaheer Colony near Dhalay Police Station, where three members of a family were injured in a mud house. The injured, identified as 28-year-old Sadira, 14-year-old Sameera and 10-year-old Saira, were provided first aid before being shifted to hospital.

In Kamoke, 14-year-old Muhammad Hussain drowned after falling into an underpass flooded with more than 10 feet deep rainwater. Rescue 1122 personnel recovered his body after a search and handed it over to police for legal formalities.

Heavy flooding was also reported in Wazirabad, where rainwater entered homes and government offices. Residents removed water from their houses on a self-help basis. WASA Managing Director Ahad Dogar and Deputy Commissioner Sara Hayat supervised drainage operations, with water levels gradually receding by around midnight.

Gujrat also experienced severe flooding after receiving 153mm of rainfall. Low-lying areas in Gujrat, Lalamusa and Sarai Alamgir were submerged under 1.5 to two feet of water, giving many neighbourhoods the appearance of lakes.