Rain reigns: 40 dead and counting!

• 15 killed in rain-related incidents in Lahore, more casualties reported from across Punjab and Azad Kashmir
• Three Pakistan Army soldiers killed in LoC mud-slides
• Met Office warns all rivers in Punjab would likely be in ‘very high’ to ‘exceptionally high’ flood from Sept 5 to 7

At least 40 people have been killed in rain-related incidents across Punjab and in Azad Kashmir since Wednesday night, as 15 deaths were reported from Lahore and at least seven from the districts of Sialkot and Gujranwala.

“At least 25 people have been killed in different incidents of roof collapses in Punjab province during the last 24 hours,” Jam Sajjad, the spokesman for Rescue 1122, told Pakistan Today in Lahore.

He said the dead included women and children, and 28 people had been injured.

Three of the dead died due to electrocution – one person in Lahore and two others in Kasur.

Rescue 1122 Director General Rizwan Naseer said the injured were being moved to hospitals.

“We have been removing the debris to search for survivors and the injured, “Naseer said, adding that the toll was likely to rise as more information came in from around the province.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has announced Rs 500,000 aid for the deceased persons and Rs 100,000 aid for those who were injured in monsoon rains.

In Azad Kashmir, 10 people were killed and four others injured, disaster management agency chairman Akram Sohail told a wire agency.

He said there had been some flash flooding in the Himalayan territory and warned that the rivers Jhelum and Neelum were close to overflowing in some places.

Also in Kashmir, three soldiers died in a mudslide near the Line of Control (LoC) with India.

The current spell is being generated by the first well-marked low pressure of the monsoon season that is moving towards Pakistan via Indian Rajasthan, moist current from the Bay of Bengal and a trough of westerly wave persisting over northern parts of the country.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department had sent out a warning that all rivers in Punjab would likely be in “very high” to “exceptionally high” flood from Sept 5 to 7 because of expected intensification of the current spell of fairly widespread rains reported from various parts of the country.

River Chenab at Marala is likely to attain high to very high flood level ranging between 350,000 cusecs to 450,000 cusecs. River Chenab at Khanki is likely to attain high to very high flood level ranging between 350,000 cusecs to 450,000 cusecs, while River Chenab at Qadirabad is also likely to attain high to very high flood level ranging between 350,000 cusecs to 450,000 cusecs between Friday morning and Saturday afternoon.

RAIN CLAIMS 15 LIVES IN LAHORE, ROADS INUNDATED:

Six of a family died when the roof of their residence caved in Lahore’s Mozang locality. Two women were among the dead when the roof of the dilapidated house collapsed in Mozang’s Chah Meeran area.

In Lahore’s GOR-II area, two people died when a rooftop caved in due to the heavy downpour. Moreover, in Johar Town, one man died and four others were injured in a similar incident. Also, a labourer was injured when a two-storey building under construction collapsed in Johar Town. Two siblings died in Manawa and one woman in Samanabad due to electrocution.

In Lahore’s Defence area, three people died due to rain-related incidents.

Heavy rains resulted in inundated roads in Lahore, resulting in traffic flow being severely affected, while some areas also experienced power outages after transformers fell due to strong winds.

Schedules of flights and trains has also been affected as a result.

Vehicles from Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) were seen on the roads but were unable to clear the water due to lack of proper equipment, including suction pipes.

The vehicles reportedly were also out of fuel, and the workers were seen using wipers and sticks.

16 DIE ACROSS PUNJAB:

Four people, including two children, were killed in separate incidents of roof collapse in the Godhpur and Green Town areas of Sialkot as a result of torrential rains.

Three people died when the roof of a house collapsed in the town of Kamoki in Gujranwala district.

The roof of the ramshackle edifice caved as the town saw torrential rains.

Three people died and 16 people were injured in different areas of Faisalabad due to crashing of roof.

In Khanewal’s tehsil Kabirwala a wall collapsed, resulting in the deaths of two brothers and injuries to their sister.

In Chiroi and Bhambar areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, two people including a woman died when their house’s roof caved in.

In Narowal’s Chandwaal area, a seven-year-old girl died while five others were injured while another death was reported from Muzaffarabad.