Nature’s fury: Heavy downpour claims life in DI Khan

Hostel, warden’s residence at Gomal University damaged.

DI KHAN:

With excessive load-shedding throughout Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, many were praying for a few drops of rain to get some reprieve from the scorching summer heat. However, heavy rainfall in DI Khan district spelled disaster as houses collapsed, killing a girl and injuring others on Thursday.

The girl was killed when her house collapsed in Mallana. The residences of Ghulam Hussain, a private TV channel employee, and Imran were also reduced to rubble in other parts of the district. There were further reports of injuries and damaged houses in Paharpur and Penyallah.

Heavy rainfall, followed by strong winds, meant that rainwater accumulated on the streets while advertising hoardings were ripped from their mountings in various parts of the district.

Abid Khan, a shop owner in Tank Adda Bazzar of DI Khan city, chose to remain positive despite the difficult circumstances. “Each time the rains come, water remains standing and this makes movement difficult. However, in Ramazan, rain has come as a blessing in this hot weather.”

Gomal University students and faculty failed to share Khan’s optimism as the girls’ hostel and senior warden’s residence suffered partial damage. Moreover, more than 40 electricity poles, connecting a newly established grid station to the institute, came crashing down. This disrupted the power supply and there were reports of damage to the campus wall.

The power supply was also disrupted to DI Khan city and some other villages of the district.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2014.