Boy killed in wall collapse incident as windstorm hits Mansehra

MANSEHRA: A young boy was killed when an outer wall of a house collapsed during a heavy windstorm that plunged various parts of the district into darkness on Friday.

The windstorm, followed by light rain, caused widespread power outages in Mansehra city and its suburbs.The incident occurred in the Baffa Mera area, where the outer wall of a house of Mohammad Anwar collapsed, burying his son, Mohammad Usman, 9, under the rubble.

Locals rushed to the scene, rescued the boy, and shifted him to the Civil Hospital Baffa, where doctors pronounced him dead.“We have shifted the injured to a health facility where doctors pronounced him dead and the body was later handed over to his family,” a local told reporters.

The storm, which brought strong winds and dust, left many areas in complete darkness for several hours.Locals reported that trees were uprooted in the hilly areas, but no further loss of life was reported from other parts of the district.

Meanwhile, three houses were gutted following the heavy fire which erupted owing to unknown reasons, engulfing the entire area in Battal.The blaze, which broke out in the house of Sharif Shah, ripped through the neighbouring houses of Mian Madad Shah and Owas Shah, reducing household goods, cash and gold ornaments to ashes.

The inmates, according to eyewitnesses, rushed out of burning houses, but some of them received slight injuries.The people rushed to the scene and put out the fire after a three-hour effort of three hours.

They said that if they couldn’t promptly rush and put out the fire, it might catch the neighbouring house in the locality.Locals appealed to the government to extend financial assistance to owners of houses.