Fida Husnain/ Tariq Saeed Lahore/ Peshawar
Lahore witnessed torrential rains on Thursday that brought 350 millimetres of water in just three hours, smashing a 44-year-old rainfall record and with a heavy downpour followed by heavy floods, land sliding and collapsing of houses in various districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa claimed seven more lives thus taking the death toll to 26 and injuries to around two dozen others.
Rain intermittently continued in various areas of Lahore, where water entered homes in Nishtar Town, Lakshmi Chowk, Tajpura and Johar Town.
Three people including children died while seven others were injured in Lahore due to roof collapses and electrocution.
The Punjab government declared rain emergency in Lahore. The heavy rains caused roofs and trees to fall in Lahore and other parts of the province. The electricity supply also got suspended in most parts of the capital city.
In the Tajpura area of Lahore, rainwater entered homes, and rainwater also entered various wards of the
city’s three major hospitals including Mayo Hospital, Services Hospital and General Hospital which caused distress to patients and their families.
Punjab Chief Zahid Akhtar Zaman visited Services hospital and other parts of the provincial capital. He also directed the relevant officials to take action for clearance of roads, streets and hospitals.
Moreover, the rain affected the electricity transmission system in the city, and 288 feeders tripped.
According to WASA, the highest rainfall in Lahore in 44 years, with 357 mm recorded at the airport and 299 mm in Nishtar Town. Lakshmi Chowk recorded 211 mm, Tajpura 240 mm and Johar Town 270 mm.
The WASA officials said that water drainage was completed in most parts of the city, with drainage work was underway in some areas till writing of these lines.
Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the 44-year rainfall record in Lahore was broken, and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz set a new record for public service. Water drainage from hospitals and roads was completed within a few hours during and after the heavy rain, and the hospitals were cleared on an emergency basis.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari said during a press conference that rainwater from seven hours was cleared in two hours which is no joke.
Punjab chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, she said, took updates on the rain situation every moment.
She stated that water accumulated in Services Hospital at 9 am and was cleared by 10 am. Some people are making old footage viral as today’s footage.
She questioned the propagandists if they saw Thursday’s footage from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where 24 people died in rains over three days. On the other hand, according to the Meteorological Department, the rainy spell is expected to continue until August 6.
Rainfall did not only impact Lahore, but multiple cities across the country including Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Sheikhupura, Pakpattan, Kasur, Jehlum, among others received rain, with low-lying areas submerged.
He added that there are heavy rains across Lahore. “There were more rains in Sindh compared to Punjab. But this was expected.”
Meanwhile, in KP a glacier outburst in Sorej area of Chitral district played havoc as it led to heavy floods that washed away a big part of a village including a mosque that resulted in several deaths and injuries. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority has warned of torrential rains from August 1 to August 6 that may lead to heavy flooding, land sliding and collapse of building structures asking the people to remain more vigilant and adopt precautionary measures.
According to PDMA those killed in rains and floods related incidents during the last three days include 12 were children, 7 women and 6 men. The PDMA report said a total of 150 houses were damaged due to wind and rain, in which 77 houses were partially destroyed and 73 houses were completely destroyed.
Rain accidents were reported in Kohat, Bajaur, Chitral Upper and Lower, Dir Upper, Kohistan Upper and Lower, Abbottabad, Haripur, Swat, Charsadda, Swabi, South Waziristan and Hangu districts of the province. Chitral, Naran, Peshawar, D I Khan, Kurram tribal district, Malakand and Bajaur etc.
In Sorej, a remote village of Chitral the glacier outburst led to heavy floods and according to locals 80 percent of the village was damaged as many trapped under tons of debris. The locals retrieved a body of a women and a man while others remained missing. Due to harsh weather and destruction of major roads all the schools in Chitral have been closed for three days.
At least two people were killed and another was seriously injured when the vehicle they were traveling in fell into a ditch in Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday.
According to Rescue 1122, the accident occurred in the Tangir area of Bisham tehsil of Shangla. The driver lost control of the vehicle when the brakes failed at the slippery road causing it to plunge into a deep ravine.
The PDMA has directed the district administrations of the affected districts to provide immediate financial assistance to the victims. The Authorities have once again advised the tourists to avoid traveling to tourist destinations until the situation returns to normal.
Emergency Operation Center is fully operational and public/tourists can contact 1700 for any untoward incident, weather conditions, road closures and guidance. The PDMA said and cautioned the district administrations that urban flooding was likely to cause flooding in low lying areas. It said the land sliding may disrupt the roads at the vulnerable points of the hilly areas thus asking the tourists to avoid traveling to tourist destinations until the situation returns to normal.
