Lightning struck house
At 2 pm on July 29 lightning struck a house, killing 13 out of 19 members of the household.
SWAT:
At 2 pm on July 29 lightning struck a house, killing 13 out of 19 members of the household. Gul Shireen, the 90-year-old head of the household, laments the death of his three sons, a daughter and two daughters-in-law, his wife, five grandchildren and one female guest.
Residing in a village in Chur, located at Tal Dardyal of Kabal tehsil, nearly 37 kilometres from Mingora, Gul Shireen lived with his family till the recent monsoon rains swept away his life. All that is left of his household now, besides himself, are four of his children.
“I was offering Zohr prayers just outside my house, while one of my granddaughters was playing beside me, when there was a streak of sudden lightning that struck my house and in the blink of an eye, everything that was dear lay scattered,” Gul Shireen told The Express Tribune, with tears in his eyes.
Sher Ali, a nephew of Gul Shireen who also survived the lightning strike, recalled the horror of seeing the entire house destroyed. Five children were killed and another three were lying injured under the rubble.
Torrential rain made it very difficult for them to dig out the bodies with the rain affecting their visibility, creating a scene of utmost chaos, Ali said.
They cried and ran for help, and fortunately neighbours came to their aid, helping them dig out the bodies. If the people had not helped, he would not have been able to do it even if they worked for two days, he added.
Since that day, no one except a couple of NGOs and army personnel approached them with aid.
Waqar Khan, the elected MPA, is out of the district and could not be reached. His brother, an ex-nazim of the area said “we are aware of the incident, it is a great tragedy, not only for the bereaved family but for the whole area. We have completed the paperwork and soon compensation will be given to the survivors.”
Gul Shireen is often seen alone, absently wandering about.
“I can’t remember what happened after that day, it destroyed my life, my sorrow has no bounds. The family which I had brought up for 90 years vanished in a wink.”
Published in The Express Tribune, August 21st, 2010.
At 2 pm on July 29 lightning struck a house, killing 13 out of 19 members of the household. Gul Shireen, the 90-year-old head of the household, laments the death of his three sons, a daughter and two daughters-in-law, his wife, five grandchildren and one female guest.
Residing in a village in Chur, located at Tal Dardyal of Kabal tehsil, nearly 37 kilometres from Mingora, Gul Shireen lived with his family till the recent monsoon rains swept away his life. All that is left of his household now, besides himself, are four of his children.
“I was offering Zohr prayers just outside my house, while one of my granddaughters was playing beside me, when there was a streak of sudden lightning that struck my house and in the blink of an eye, everything that was dear lay scattered,” Gul Shireen told The Express Tribune, with tears in his eyes.
Sher Ali, a nephew of Gul Shireen who also survived the lightning strike, recalled the horror of seeing the entire house destroyed. Five children were killed and another three were lying injured under the rubble.
Torrential rain made it very difficult for them to dig out the bodies with the rain affecting their visibility, creating a scene of utmost chaos, Ali said.
They cried and ran for help, and fortunately neighbours came to their aid, helping them dig out the bodies. If the people had not helped, he would not have been able to do it even if they worked for two days, he added.
Since that day, no one except a couple of NGOs and army personnel approached them with aid.
Waqar Khan, the elected MPA, is out of the district and could not be reached. His brother, an ex-nazim of the area said “we are aware of the incident, it is a great tragedy, not only for the bereaved family but for the whole area. We have completed the paperwork and soon compensation will be given to the survivors.”
Gul Shireen is often seen alone, absently wandering about.
“I can’t remember what happened after that day, it destroyed my life, my sorrow has no bounds. The family which I had brought up for 90 years vanished in a wink.”
Published in The Express Tribune, August 21st, 2010.