At least six people, including children, were killed and dozens were injured in different incidents of roof collapse occurred in the metropolis Lahore.
Heavy rain lashed in Lahore late Saturday night which continued intermittently till morning, deluging all the roads and streets of the city.
According to rescue 1122 sources, three incidents of roof collapse occurred in the city which claimed six lives.
In the first incident, a roof of a quarter near Wahdat Road, Multan Chungi collapsed, where labourers working on Orange Line Metro Train (OMT) project were residing. Rescue workers recovered one deceased who was identified as 20-year-old Ali and five injured from the rubble. They were shifted to Jinnah Hospital. The injured were identified as Iqbal, 35, Akhtar, 32, Arshad, 23, Munir, 50, and Taimoor, 25. Later, Munir also died during the treatment in hospital.
The second incident occurred near Shama stop where the roof of a dilapidated house collapsed due to heavy rain in which a 35-year-old Muhammad Yousuf was recovered dead, while his wife Naila and seven-year-old son Ahmad were shifted to hospital with injuries.
In the third incident, a wall of a house caved-in in Shibli Town in Sanda near Bund Road when a few children were returning back to their homes from madrassah. Locals with the help of rescue teams removed the debris where they found three children dead and one injured. The deceased were identified as five-year-old Ali, Haider, 10, and Ahsan, 8.
The overnight downpours submerged low-lying areas of Lahore including Wasanpura, Garhi Shahu, Garden Town, Ferozpur Road, Mall Road, Gulberg and Iqbal Town.
Rain also lashed in other cities of Punjab, including Kasur, Shiekhupura, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Narowal, Kamoni, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Sahiwal, where several incidents of roof collapse were reported.
On the other hand, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed a deep sense of sorrow and grief over the death of five persons, including three children, due to the collapse of roofs at Band Road and other areas due to rain. Expressing condolences and sympathies with the bereaved families, the CM directed the administration and health authorities to provide the best treatment facilities to the injured.
Met office forecasted rain-thunderstorm with isolated heavy falls at a number of different places in Lahore.