14 die as rains lash parts of KP, Punjab, Hyderabad

ISLAMABAD/ HYDERABAD/PESHAWAR/LAHORE: Heavy rains have claimed 14 lives across Pakistan in the past 24 hours, with five deaths in Punjab and six in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while three in Hyderabad. Widespread flooding has inundated several city areas, causing power outages and disrupting daily life.

The situation is expected to worsen as the Met Office warns of an intense rain system set to batter the country from today to Thursday (July 15-17).According to NDMA the monsoon rains across the country have caused death of 111 people including 53 children, with the highest number of deaths in Punjab. Data from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) between June 26 and July 14 showed electrocution to the leading cause of fatalities, followed by flash floods. In late June, at least 13 tourists were swept to their deaths while sheltering from flash floods on a raised river bank in Swat.

Heavy rains and flash floods have claimed six lives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the last 24 hours, according to the NDMA. The casualties included a woman in Bajaur who died when the boundary wall of her house collapsed, two children in Khyber district were swept away by flash floods, a man in Kohat died after the roof of his house roof caved in, and two children in Malakand succumbed to injuries after a wall collapsed on them.

Also five people died in accidents due to heavy rains across Punjab including Lahore, Okara and Kasur. In Okara, a 50-year-old woman, Samina, died, while two teenagers, Anam and Asad, were killed by a lightning strike in Okara. The roof of a madrasa collapsed due to heavy rain in Manchinabad, killing two students and seriously injuring 12 others, including a teacher. The deceased in the tragic incident are 8-year-old Salam and 10-year-old Saifullah, who belong to Behkanwala Bodla and Syed Ali. Rescue teams reached the spot and rescued the students, 12 of them were shifted to Civil Hospital Manchinabad.

In Kasur Haveli Nathu Wali, the roof of a dilapidated room collapsed due to rain, killing 42-year-old Omari Bibi, injuring 45-year-old Iftikhar and 7-year-old Muneeb. Several others were injured due to wall and roof collapses in Muzaffargarh and Kot Addu. Similarly, one life was lost and left three injured in a roof collapse incident in Hyderabad’s Timber Market.

Lahore saw intermittent heavy rains, submerging low-lying areas and causing power outages after dozens of feeders tripped. Many areas, including Township, Canal Road, and Gulberg, are affected, with waterlogging and electricity disruptions paralyzing daily life. The rains have brought relief from the heat, with temperatures expected to reach up to 33°C. Cold winds continue to blow in Faisalabad city and its surroundings have broken the heat making weather pleasant.

Punjab continues to experience heavy rains, with significant rainfall recorded in various cities over the last 24 hours, including Okara (72 mm), Sahiwal (66 mm), Dera Ghazi Khan (51 mm), Mianwali (38 mm), Bahawalpur (36 mm), Kot Addu (33 mm), Gujranwala (30 mm), Layyah (23 mm), and Murree (22 mm). Other cities, including Rawalpindi, Attock, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, and Lodhran, also received rainfall. Light to moderate rain is also expected in Rawalpindi, Murree and Galiyat, which is expected to make the weather pleasant.

Heavy rains have flooded low-lying areas in Dera Ghazi Khan and Kamalia, with water accumulating in streets and homes. Power outages have also been reported due to feeder trips. In Taunsa, over 20 slums have been inundated, forcing families to flee their homes in search of safety, as rainwater from the Koh-e-Sulaiman mountains poses a growing threat.

According to PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia, most rivers and streams in Punjab have normal water levels, except for a moderate flood in the Indus River at Taunsa, with a flow of 426,000 cusecs. The flow in Chenab, Ravi, Jhelum, and Sutlej rivers is normal. However, Dera Ghazi Khan’s Vidor Rudkohi is experiencing high-level floodwaters. The district administration is on alert, anticipating further increases in water flow due to monsoon rains.

Harnai in Balochistan is cut off from the rest of the country after torrential rains caused floods in rivers and canals. The PDMA and relevant institutions are on high alert, mobilizing all resources to protect citizens. The public is advised to take precautions and contact the PDMA helpline 1129 in case of emergencies.

In Hyderabad earlier on Monday, a powerful spell of monsoon rain lashed Hyderabad, bringing life in the city to a standstill. The heavy downpour, which began around 4 PM, continued intermittently until sunset, submerging roads and residential areas across the city and exposing serious flaws in the city’s drainage and power infrastructure. Tragically the rain claimed three lives and left three injured in a roof collapse incident in Timber Market.

According to the Meteorological Department, 94 mm of rain was recorded in Hyderabad, while the airport side received 56 mm. Streets across the city turned into water channels, with rainwater accumulating in almost every locality. Tragedy struck in the Timber Market where the roof of a lumber warehouse collapsed, killing a laborer named Nek Mohammad and injuring three others, who are currently under treatment at Civil Hospital, according to Rescue 1122.

Key commercial and residential areas were inundated. Amid massive traffic jams due to water accumulation, fallen trees, and Hesco poles, SSP Adeel Hussain Chandio led a rescue squad to assist stranded citizens and eased traffic flow. The emergency service also responded to nine separate incidents of fallen trees across City, Latifabad, and Qasimabad. The rain also exposed HESCO’s (Hyderabad Electric Supply Company) lack of monsoon preparedness. Over 200 feeders tripped during the storm, severely hampering drainage efforts due to stalled pumping stations.

The citizens expressed frustration over the absence of district administration officials. The mayor of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Kashif Shoro, Commissioner Zahoor Ahmed Laghari, WASA, and Town Chairmen faced criticism for failing to clean storm drains and sewers ahead of the monsoon, further complicating water drainage as trash clogged exit points. Several residents stranded on flooded roads for hours told The News that the post-rain situation was miserable, and the absence of responsible officials only worsened their ordeal.

Deputy Commissioner Zain-ul-Abideen Memon visited various pumping stations and termed the situation a result of a “cloudburst.” However, the Meteorological Department refuted the claim, stating that for a cloudburst to be declared, over 200 mm of rain must fall in an hour, while Hyderabad only recorded 94 mm in three hours.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah took notice of the worsening situation in Hyderabad following heavy rainfall and contacted Hyderabad Mayor Kashif Shoro to receive a detailed briefing on drainage efforts. The CM instructed immediate steps for the removal of standing water across rain-hit areas.

During the briefing, the mayor informed the chief minister that due to the tripping of HESCO’s electricity feeders, key pumping stations had ceased functioning, severely hampering drainage efforts. Responding to the issue, Murad Ali Shah directed Sindh Energy Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah to coordinate with HESCO and ensure immediate restoration of electricity to all pumping stations so that drainage operations could resume without delay. The CM also instructed the Hyderabad Commissioner to stay on the ground and oversee the situation personally, adding that all necessary measures must be taken to safeguard lives and property.

In a related development, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) had forecast another strong monsoon weather system to hit most parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within the next 24 (July 15-17) to 72 hours. It also forecast heavy showers in Lahore, Sadiqabad, and Kot Addu, leading to urban flooding and power disruptions.

The PMD has issued a warning of potential flooding in local streams, rivers, and urban areas, as water levels in River Chenab and Tarbela Dam continue to rise. Authorities have alerted district administrations to take necessary precautions. In Taunsa Sharif, rising waters in the Indus River have submerged bridges, cutting off routes. Locals are struggling to cope with the harsh weather, criticizing the lack of flood relief camps and being forced to stay outdoors.

According to the PMD’s Regional Met Office in Peshawar, the approaching monsoon system was likely to merge with a westerly wave, triggering widespread rain-thundershowers with scattered heavy to extremely heavy falls accompanied by lightning and gusty winds. Areas likely to be affected included Peshawar, Mardan, Swat, Abbottabad, Dir, Chitral, Kohistan, Mansehra, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and tribal districts. Urban flooding is expected in low-lying areas of Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat, Nowshera, and Dera Ismail Khan, while riverine floods may occur in Chitral, Swat, Panjkora, and Kabul rivers.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has also warned of possible flash floods in local streams and nullahs, particularly in hilly areas like Galliyat, Kohistan, and Malakand divisions. The PDMA directed tourists and residents were advised to avoid risky travel and follow official advisories.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecast very heavy rainfalls coupled with rain-wind and thundershowers in parts of Kashmir, and isolated heavy falls in Gilgit-Baltistan from July 14 to 17, parts of Punjab, Islamabad, Azad Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with occasional gaps. It also predicted “very heavy to extremely heavy” rains in Sindh and Balochistan from July 14 to 16.