Body of woman drowned during rain found from Swan River

Rawalpindi:The body of a young woman, who drowned in a stream during heavy rain on Thursday was recovered from Swan River.

Hamra, a 20-year-old woman, resident of Ghauri Town, tragically drowned in a seasonal nullah when the scooter, she was travelling on slipped, and was swept away by water stream into a nullah. She was reportedly on her way to her job in a private housing society on her scooter. Rescue 1122 Official Spokesman Usman Gujjar informed ‘The News’ that the young woman’s body had been recovered from the fast-flowing Swan River. “We have shifted the young woman’s body to the District Headquarter Hospital (DHQ) for necessary formalities,” he stated.

He mentioned that Rescue 1122 teams were stationed around Nullah Leh and other nullahs to prevent any untoward incidents and had warned the public to stay away from these areas during rains.

Meanwhile, the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has initiated the re-cleaning of 15 nullahs in Rawalpindi and has begun deep dredging of Nullah Leh to prevent flooding in the city. PML-N’s Muhammad Hanif Abbasi has directed the re-cleaning efforts and urged deeper dredging of Nullah Leh.

Elected representatives, including MNA Tahira Aurangzeb, MPA Shazia Rizwan, MPA Asma Abbasi, and MPA Zaib-un-Nisa, along with Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hasan Waqar Cheema and Managing Director (Wasa) Saleem Ashraf, visited Nullah Leh and instructed authorities to remain on high alert during the monsoon.

Managing Director Muhammad Saleem Ashraf briefed about the current arrangements, assuring that the situation was fully under control and that they were prepared to face potential flooding. He also mentioned the establishment of 13 ‘Flood Relief Camps’ at various points in Rawalpindi and the removal of all gypsies and other individuals settled near Nullah Leh. Deputy Commissioner Hasan Waqar Cheema stated that they were in close contact with the Meteorological Office and anticipated heavy rainfall until August 6. “I have deployed Rescue 1122, Civil Defence, and other officials near Nullah Leh to prevent any untoward incidents,” he said.

The heavy rain started in the early hours of Thursday and continued at the time of this report. While the rain raised the water level in Nullah Leh, it did not overflow into the nearby areas.

According to a Met Office official, strong monsoon currents are affecting the upper and central parts of the country. Partly cloudy weather with rain, wind, and thundershowers (with isolated heavy falls) is expected in Rawalpindi and Islamabad until August 6.