The sound of thunder: 5 dead as rain lashes city
25 others injured, more showers expected within 24 hours in province.
Lightning struck a rickshaw stand in Qazi Kalay near Charsadda Road. PHOTO: MUHAMMAD IQBAL/EXPRESS
PESHAWAR:
The city yet again experienced the most intimidating of thunderstorms which claimed five lives and left 25 on the hospital beds with injuries.
It all started during the wee hours of Thursday when rain and hail fell over the provincial capital and adjoining areas. Peshawar DC and Provincial Disaster Management Authority confirmed the deaths and injuries that were caused in different incidents. The damage and casualties were centred in Urmar, Afghan Colony, Phandu, Surizai Payan, Landi Sarak, Jhagra and surrounding areas.
Rescue 1122 Spokesperson Bilal Faizi said teams pulled out 18 people from under the rubble of collapsed houses and rushed them to Lady Reading Hospital. According to the LRH media and information wing, the deceased, most of whom were children, were identified as three-year-old Asad, 11-year-old Awais, 30-year-old Tasleem, 13-year-old Mahnoor and eight-year-old Sidra.
The winds not only uprooted entire trees but also wrecked power supply lines. Peshawar Electric Supply Company Spokesperson Shaukat Afzal said 56 feeders were affected by the storm in the areas of Cantonment, Hayatabad, Tajabad and Jamrud Road. Three Pesco workers were injured during power restoration operations, he added. PDMA spokesperson said the DC office has been directed to provide immediate relief to the affectees; however, compensation will be paid only after a damage assessment report is tabulated. Lightning struck a rickshaw stand in Qazi Kalay near Charsadda Road, burning eight three-wheelers down.
Clueless
The relevant departments knew little of what the clouds had in store for the city until the storm announced its arrival. “The meteorological office had only informed us about scattered rains in parts of Peshawar, Malakand and Hazara divisions but it never mentioned a storm of this intensity,” said a government official. However, Met Department Regional Director Mushtaq Shah insisted forecasts of “rain along with gusty winds” were issued. He said the weather system was generated after the western cold front interacted with the warm front. “Such conditions give rise to strong winds.”
Answering a question about the office’s Peshawar observatory, Shah said information is sent in from the Islamabad observatory. “We are working on building in Mardan where a Doppler radar will be installed. An amount of Rs300 million has been set aside for the project that will take two years to complete.” Shah said the department will be able to monitor weather activity in Malakand and Peshawar divisions, and even in Afghanistan, efficiently once the new facility is ready. The regional director said more rain is expected in Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Karak, DI Khan and Hazara during the next 24 hours.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 4th, 2015.
The city yet again experienced the most intimidating of thunderstorms which claimed five lives and left 25 on the hospital beds with injuries.
It all started during the wee hours of Thursday when rain and hail fell over the provincial capital and adjoining areas. Peshawar DC and Provincial Disaster Management Authority confirmed the deaths and injuries that were caused in different incidents. The damage and casualties were centred in Urmar, Afghan Colony, Phandu, Surizai Payan, Landi Sarak, Jhagra and surrounding areas.
Rescue 1122 Spokesperson Bilal Faizi said teams pulled out 18 people from under the rubble of collapsed houses and rushed them to Lady Reading Hospital. According to the LRH media and information wing, the deceased, most of whom were children, were identified as three-year-old Asad, 11-year-old Awais, 30-year-old Tasleem, 13-year-old Mahnoor and eight-year-old Sidra.
The winds not only uprooted entire trees but also wrecked power supply lines. Peshawar Electric Supply Company Spokesperson Shaukat Afzal said 56 feeders were affected by the storm in the areas of Cantonment, Hayatabad, Tajabad and Jamrud Road. Three Pesco workers were injured during power restoration operations, he added. PDMA spokesperson said the DC office has been directed to provide immediate relief to the affectees; however, compensation will be paid only after a damage assessment report is tabulated. Lightning struck a rickshaw stand in Qazi Kalay near Charsadda Road, burning eight three-wheelers down.
Clueless
The relevant departments knew little of what the clouds had in store for the city until the storm announced its arrival. “The meteorological office had only informed us about scattered rains in parts of Peshawar, Malakand and Hazara divisions but it never mentioned a storm of this intensity,” said a government official. However, Met Department Regional Director Mushtaq Shah insisted forecasts of “rain along with gusty winds” were issued. He said the weather system was generated after the western cold front interacted with the warm front. “Such conditions give rise to strong winds.”
Answering a question about the office’s Peshawar observatory, Shah said information is sent in from the Islamabad observatory. “We are working on building in Mardan where a Doppler radar will be installed. An amount of Rs300 million has been set aside for the project that will take two years to complete.” Shah said the department will be able to monitor weather activity in Malakand and Peshawar divisions, and even in Afghanistan, efficiently once the new facility is ready. The regional director said more rain is expected in Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Karak, DI Khan and Hazara during the next 24 hours.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 4th, 2015.