Mystery warning: Flood hoax causes panic in Ferozewala

No official authority seems to know who issued the warning.

LAHORE:

A flood warning caused panic and a hurried evacuation in Ferozewala area in Sheikhupra district on Saturday, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Several police vans patrolling the area along GT Road made announcements through mosques that flooding of the area was expected and advised people to take precautions.

Given that some settlements between Rachna Town and Rana Town were already inundated, the warning caused panic among residents. Some people moved their belongings to the upper floors of their houses while others hired vehicles to transfer valuables to higher ground.

Advocate Abu Bakar, a resident of Chak 42, told The Express Tribune that people of the area had shifted their cattle to safer places. He said many people had stayed awake all night in anticipation of the flood.

Qari Muhammad Aftab, a prayer leader at a mosque in Rachna Town, told The Express Tribune that he had announced the flood warning after receiving a message from the police.

He said he had removed religious books from the mosque.

On Sunday, the flood had still not arrived and people began returning to their homes.

The administration of a camp set up by Ferozewla tehsil municipal administration in the area for those displaced by the flood refused to comment.

Ferozewala acting SHO Tariq Niazi told The Express Tribune that he had received a flood warning call from district police control.

He said, “The warning proved false but it is binding upon us to pass information received from our seniors on to citizens likely to be affected.”

The operator at Sheikhupura Police Control (056-9200110), Muhammad Yousaf, said a call was made to Ferozewala Police at 12:50pm after Sheikhupura Police Control received information from Inspector General’s Office via 042-99210063 and Lahore Rescue 1122 control 042-99231710-11.

He said they had reported receiving a call from a mobile phone [phone]).

When contacted, an operator at the IG’s Office denied calling Sheikhupura control on Saturday. He said issuing flood warnings was not his mandate.

Punjab Emergency Services Director General Dr Rizwan Naseer too denied issuing any flood warning on Saturday.

He said it was the responsibility of the Metrological Department or the city government. He said, “Rescue 1122 cannot issue a flood warning.”

When The Express Tribune called the mobile number from where the flood warning seemed to have orginated, a woman denied making any calls in this regard.

However, she hung up without completing the conversation and then switched off the phone.

So far, no one is being held responsible for the false alarm.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 26^th, 2013.