Torrential downpour: At least 36 dead, 80 injured rain-related accidents

Cotton crop on more than a million acres damaged in Vehari, Lodhran and Layyah.

MULTAN:

As many as 29 people have died and more than 80 injured in rain related accidents in southern districts of the province.

Of these, seven deaths were reported from Multan, four from Rajanpur, three each from Vehari and Khanewal, two each from Muzaffargarh, Burewala (drowning in Islam headworks), Layyah and Lodhran.

The deceased included 10 men, five women and 10 children.

Besides the two people who drowned in Head Islam in Burewala, all others died in incidents of house collapse and electric shock.

Of the more than 80 people injured in rains, 38 stated to be in critical condition in southern districts were referred to Nishter Hospital. Those with critical injuries in Okara and Sahiwal were referred to Lahore.

These incidents were reported from Multan, Khanewal, Vehari, Lodhran, Bhakkar, Sahiwal, Bahawalnagar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Layyah, Muzafarhgarh and Okara.

The Meteorological Department recorded 130 millimetre rain in Multan.

At least 50 sheep died as the roof of a shed collapsed during rain in Khajji Waala village in Dera Ghazi Khan. Its owner Hafeez Ullah estimated his loss at around Rs5 million.

Erosion

In Layyah, 12 villages have been inundated following erosion by River Indus. District Coordination Officer Mushtaq Ahmed said more than 5,000 people from these villages had been moved to camps set up in public schools. Assistant Commissionaire Farooq Dogar said the provincial government would provide basic necessities to these families until a course of action was adopted for their rehabilitation in coordination with the National and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities.

Landslide

At least 100 vehicles, including 40 trucks, have been stranded on the National Highway due to a landslide near Nilli Matti near Fort Munro.

Hill torrents

Dera Ghazi Khan district administration officials said the city had been saved from flooding by water from hill torrent drains by breaches at Chak Do Dadaara and Pul 13. The administration predicts more hill torrents in 72 hours.

In Shadan Lund village, 4,000 people have been relocated to camps after more than 80 per cent of houses collapsed in hill torrent flood.

Multan DCO Zahid Akhtar Zaman said leaves of the staff had been cancelled and they have been directed to visit affected areas to address citizens’ complaints.

He said residents of outdated buildings in the Old City of Multan had been warned to vacate the buildings before the current spell of rains. The Met Office has predicted that the spell will continue for another 36 hours to 48 hours.

Cotton

Agriculture Department Assistant Director Ishaq Lashari told The Express Tribune that cotton crop on 20 per cent of the 5.8 million acre farm land in southern districts had been damaged from rain. He said most of the farms where cotton had been damaged were in Vehari and others in Layyah and Lodhran.

He said cotton on between 10 and 20 per cent more land was expected to be damaged if the rain continued for two more days.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2012.