12 killed as storms envelop country

Ag Agencies

BAHAWALPUR/KARACHI: Six people in the Punjab and at least three in Karachi were killed in the recent dust storm and rains on Monday.

In Bahawalpur, five people, including three labourers, were killed and 12 others injured. In Hasilpur area of Bahwalpur division, three labourers namely Muzaffar, Shabbir and Rafique died when the wall of a cotton factory collapsed.

A motorcyclist, Fayyaz Ahmad, was killed while his wife was injured when a tree fell on them near the Adda Muhammad Pannah on the Hasilpur-Chishtian Rood. On the Jhangiwala Road, Bahawalpur, Kalsoom Bibi was killed and her husband was injured when their motorbike was hit by a van during the dust storm. Two women were critically injured in a wall collapse at Ghareeb Mohallah, Hasilpur.

Three people were injured when the boundary wall of a railway track collapsed near Cheema Town Phase-11. According Rescue 1122, many other cases of injuries have also been reported.

In Toba Tek Singh, a man died and his six family members sustained injuries when a wall of his house collapsed on them. Muhammad Mansha died and his wife, their two children and three relatives sustained injuries when the wall fell on them owing to rains and gusty wind. The Rescue-1122 ambulance shifted them to Gojra THQ Hospital.

In Pirmahal, roof of a house in B/Plot locality also collapsed. Gusty winds uprooted hundreds of trees and damaged solar panels installed on roofs and bill boards and sign boards in the district on Monday afternoon. Storm and rains damaged standing and harvested wheat crop on vast area of farmlands. Rainwater entered the houses in low-lying area of the city. In Multan, dust-storm and heavy rains tripped 115 feeders of the Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco). Five people sustained injuries on the Dunyapur Road when the roof of a house collapsed owing to the thunderstorm and rain.

The roof collapse blocked the traffic on Multan-Dunyapur Road and injured were removed to the Nishtar Hospital. The dust-storm hit several districts of southern Punjab with 25 kilometers per hour speed and damaged several Mepco poles and trees. The storm affected power supply in Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur divisions. Mepco spokesperson Jamshed Niazi said Mepco Chief Executive Officer Engineer Tahir Mehmood had ordered field staff to restore power supply in all areas as soon as possible.

In Karachi, at least three people were killed and 86 others injured. Incidents of wall and roof collapses were reported in Korangi, Landhi, Malir, Lyari, PECHS, Peoples Chowrangi and Surjani Town. Jinnah Hospital officials said three bodies and 47 injured were brought to the hospital. While, Civil Hospital officials said that 39 injured were brought to the hospital.