Eight killed as lightning, hailstorm hit Chitral, other areas

ISLAMABAD: The twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Kashmir received heavy rain on Sunday and at least eight persons were killed in rain-related incidents.
In Chitral, five members of a family were killed when a mudslide triggered by rain and lightning struck a house in the Shishi Koh Valley, official sources said. The sources said that lightning hit the house in Poret Gol, a summer pasture in theShishi Koh Valley. “The house collapsed burying the family members alive,” official sources said, adding, shepherds in the area informed the authorities about the incident.
A rescue team of the Chitral Scouts retrieved the bodies from the rubble.Those killed were identified as Dilawar Khan, Khan Bibi, Fazal Rahim, Israr Khan and another person whose identity could not be ascertained.
In the central Orakzai Agency, three persons, including two minor girls, were killed when a roof collapsed in Khosa Mela village, sources said.The sources said that due to torrential rain and thunderstorm, the roof of the house of Qadeer Khan caved in. As a result, his wife, seven-year-old daughter and niece were killed on the spot.
Following the incident, the locals rushed to the spot and retrieved the bodies. The standing crops were also destroyed in the hail and windstorm.In Parachinar, four electricity pylons of 132KV fell down after heavy rain.
Short spells of rain continued in Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and other areas. According to the Met office, maximum rain of 24mm was recorded in Rawalpindi, 21mm in Malam Jabba, 15mm in Mangla, 6mm in Murree and 5mm in Islamabad.