Five more killed as rains continue to lash the country

At least five people, including a woman, were killed in various accidents caused by floods and heavy rains that lashed the country on Thursday.

In Sialkot, a woman was killed while her three children received serious injuries when the roof of their room caved in due to torrential rain in Talwandi village in Pasrur tehsil.

Saleema Bibi (43) and her three children Iqra, Arsalan and Mehwish were sleeping when the roof of their room caved in, killing Saleema on the spot and injuring her three children.

Flood water again spilled over the banks of flooded Nullah Dek near village Chahoor in Pasrur following torrential rain in Sialkot region.

Pasrur tehsil’s 27 villages, including Jabbokey, Chak Machchaana, Nawaadhey, Eispur, Seehowal, Jeesatiwala, Qila Ahmedabad, Sojowali, Kukka Pan, Poond, Baangey, Rasheedpur, Ghangor, Khewan Cheema, Saarh Fataah, Behlolpur, Chcheema, Peera, Baryar, Balloki, Main Harpal, Punj Grayeen Bajwa, Narang Wali, Dhung, Kheemowali, Baddo Cheema and Khewa Hundalaan were inundated, as four to five-feet high flood water played havoc with the villages, besides ruining standing crops across thousands of acres.

According to the officials of the Sialkot Irrigation Department, 20 villages of Zafarwal and Qila Ahmedabad were also inundated by the flood water after spate in flooded Naullah Dek.

Sialkot District Coordination Officer Malik Abid Hussain Awan said the entire flood situation was totally under control in Sialkot district. He added that the level of flood was 10,000 cusecs in Naullah Dek at Chahoor Pasrur and only 4,000 cusecs in Nullah Aik at Oora Sialkot.

The water level in ChenabRiver was consistently on the rise and of 400,000 cusecs of water was been recorded at Head Khanki.

At five in the morning on Thursday, the torrent at Khani head was 344,635 cusecs.

River Chenab at Khanki was likely to attain high to very high flood level ranging between 400,000 cusecs to 500,000 cusecs on Thursday.

Meanwhile in Faisalabad, four people were killed while more than two dozens received injuries due to roof collapse incidents in various parts of the city.

According to police, the downpour caused the roof of Muhammad Aamir’s house to collapse in Chak No 70-RB.

As a result, Mehwish (6 months) received serious injuries and died on the spot while Nasreen, Robiya, Sarafeen, Sameena Noor and Muhammad Azam received injuries and were shifted to hospital.

In another incident, a three-storey building in Street No 5 Anarkali Jhang Bazaar caved in. As a result, Razia Begum, Maryam Sattar and Asim Sattar were killed while Khurram Sattar was rushed to hospital.

Roof and wall collapse incidents were also reported from Gattwala, Khurarianwala, Nallaywala Stop, Millat Road, Jhumra Road, Jhumra-Jaranwala Road, Noorpur and Millat Road in which about two dozens people sustained injuries.

The Flood Forecasting Division Lahore also warned of high to very high flood in ChenabRiver.

According to the flood warning center in Lahore, Chenab was flowing in a very high at Khanki headwork, Marala and Qadirrabad, while IndusRiver was in medium flood at Chashma.

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has directed all provincial governments to keep a strict watch on floods in various parts of the country and take urgent rescue and relief measures.

The prime minister also directed that the people be kept informed about the latest situation so that they were not caught unaware.

Nawaz also directed the National Disaster Management Authority to proactively coordinate with the provincial and district authorities and extend them maximum assistance‚ wherever it was needed.

The NDMA estimates 84‚272 people have been marooned by floods so far, while standing crops over 354‚982 acres of land have been destroyed.

Similarly‚ 1‚798 houses have been damaged partially and 2‚308 completely in the flashfloods, while 93 people have so far lost their life.

The authority said 18 people died in Punjab‚ 21 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa‚ 22 in Sindh‚ 16 in Balochistan‚ 12 in Federally Administered Tribal Areas and four in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan Metrological Department (PMD) forecast widespread rains in southern Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan during the next 48 hours, with high flooding in river tributaries in Punjab.

The PMD has warned of high risk of flashfloods in rainwater nullahs of DG Khan‚ Sialkot, Gujranwala, Zhob‚ Sibbi‚ Nasirabad and Kalat divisions.