- Met office predicts more rain
Rain broke the hot spell in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab while at least 22 people were killed while several others were injured in various rain-related incidents and road mishaps on Wednesday.
According to Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the torrential rain claimed lives of five children and one woman during various incidents in different areas of KP besides injuring two children.
Three children died in Upper Dir due to flash flooding while two children perished and two others were injured due to landsliding in Abbottabad. A woman was reportedly killed in a roof collapse incident in Battagram while one house was completely damaged in Haripur.
Similarly, at least seven people died and 13 others injured in a road accident in Upper Dir. According to police, a passengers’ vehicle was plunged into deep ravine in Jandari area in the limits of Thall police station due to slippery road conditions. The rescue teams and police rushed to the site of accident and retrieved the bodies and injured. The vehicle was going from Shireen Ghar to Lamoti area of Dir, when it plunged into deep ravine. The injured were shifted to District Headquarters Hospital Dir Upper.
In Punjab, at least two children died when roof of a dilapidated house in Sambrial Town of Sialkot collapsed. The rescue sources said that roof of the house suddenly came down due to heavy rain. Two children stated to be real brother and sister, aged between six to ten years, died under the rubble.
The rain water flooded the houses and trade centres in low lying areas of the area wetting the households and goods in markets and godowns.
Separately, two minor girls died when wall of a house collapsed due to heavy rain in Gujrat. The rescue sources said that wall of a house made of mud and stone located in Banian area, Kakrali police station jurisdiction fell over two minor girls present near the scene.
Both the girls died on the spot. Their bodies were later retrieved after removing the debris.
Rains also lashed Azad Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan (GB), Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and other cities but it turned out to be an inconvenience in Sialkot, Nowshera and Khushab where roads turned into ponds.
Abbottabad town received 90mm of rainfall, Malam Jabba — a tourist resort in Swat district — 44mm, Peshawar 20mm, Risalpur 21mm, Cherat 19mm, Kohat 2mm, Saidu Sharif 9mm, Dir 9mm and Pattan 18mm. Heavy rains brought the temperature down in the region, but Peshawar experienced an extremely humid weather.
Five people, two women among them, died and 17 others suffered injuries when a passenger van plunged into a deep ravine in the Nakka Kalley area of Orakzai agency. The van going to Hangu from Sattarsam skidded during heavy rain while negotiating a sharp turn. The injured were taken to the Civil Hospital.
The Met office spokesman informed that good monsoon currents are likely to penetrate in upper and central parts of the country in the next 48 hours. Due to monsoon incursion, rain, thunderstorm with isolated heavy falls is expected at a number of places in Islamabad, Punjab, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, KP and Kashmir up to Thursday while rain-thunderstorm is also expected at isolated places of GB, Sindh and eastern parts of Balochistan (Zhob, Sibbi, Naseerabad, Kalat divisions) during the period.
The expected heavy downpour may cause flash flooding and landslides in vulnerable areas of Punjab, KP, GB and Kashmir while rain coupled with glacier melt water may result in glacial lake outburst flood in vulnerable areas of Chitral and GB.
The authorities concerned and communities are advised to remain alert during the period.
