Rains, windstorms kill 31 in Punjab

LAHORE/PESHAWAR: A powerful rain and windstorm that swept across Punjab left at least 31 people dead and 176 injured in incidents of roof and wall collapse on Wednesday.

The storm, which struck in the early hours of Wednesday, caused widespread destruction, with the worst-affected areas being Lahore and Faisalabad. Rescue officials confirmed that all the seriously injured were shifted to hospitals for medical care.

In Lahore alone, 13 people lost their lives. In Mureed Wal village near Thokar Niaz Baig, five members of a family died when the roof of their house collapsed. The victims were identified as 60-year-old Manga, his wife Ishrat (55), their daughter-in-law Rani (35), and granddaughters Khadija (3) and Latifa (4). Two other people were also injured in the incident.

In Mission Colony on Raiwind Road, Nasreen (70), Merab (8), and Bashir (80) died in a similar tragedy, with one additional injury reported. Three more lives were lost in Mominpura when Saleem Masih (36), Nusrat Bibi (34), and Sahil Masih (14) were crushed under a collapsed roof. In Kot Jamalpura, Raiwind Road, Bashir (35) was killed and three others were injured. In Pandoki village, Meena Bibi (60) died and two others were injured, while two more were hurt in a roof collapse on Lajpat Road in Shahdara.

Faisalabad recorded eight deaths. In Rachna Town, near Zam Zam Textile, Shamand Ali (50) and Riaz Bibi (40) perished. In Ahmed Nagar, 17-year-old Noman and 50-year-old Tara Begum were killed. In Chak No 215, Adeel (14) and Nasreen Bibi (50) died. Rohail Sabir (37) died in Chak 232-GB and Abdul Rehman (45) in Chak 73-GB. Across Faisalabad, dozens were injured in incidents reported from Chak 534, Chak 630, Islampura, Chak 224-RB, Chak 7, Shamspura, Sultan Town, Ahmedabad, Chak 416-GB Tandlianwala, Chak 420-RB, Chak 93-RB, Chak 441, Yasir Town, Bahmaniwala, Iqbal Stadium, Chak 170-RB, Chak 393-RB, Chak 396-RB, Chak 76-RB, Chak 648 and Chenab Garden Hassan Nagar.

Three deaths occurred in Sheikhupura where Ajmal (50) died in Usman Nagar, Nagina (25) in Jhamke village, and Bashir Ahmed (65) in Feroz Wattaan. Injuries were reported from Nawan Kot, Masjid Al Hadith in Old City, Ahmedpura, Hashim Town, Narang Mandi, and SP Chowk. In Chak Gobandpur, Zain Ali (16) and Sharafat Ali (45) died, while one other was injured.

In Pakpattan, Zainab (18) died and another was injured in a wall collapse on Gojra Road (27/SP), while Amanullah (9) died in 20/SP on Sahiwal Road. Additional injuries were reported near Rakh Pul, Chak 20/SP, Bari Rakh village, Abadi Ghaus Nagar, Chak Wadal Singh, Chak 4-SP, Faridpur Dogra, Pir Karian, Chak Bedi and Jamal Chowk.

Okara reported three fatalities. Allah Ditta (40) died in Chak 25/2R, Salman (30) in Haveli Lakha near Makkal Wali Sabzi Mandi, and Habibullah (65) in Chak 52/5L, where two others were also injured. More than 35 people were injured in incidents across Chak No 6, Dhermaan Wala, Chak 28/2L, Ghaffar Colony, Chak 53/2L, Sher Muhammad Town, and other parts of the district affected by collapsing roofs and walls.

In Nankana Sahib, Sabir Hussain (65) died in Anandpura village, Chak No 51. Injuries were reported from Chak 87 Mirpur, Abdullah Road Shahkot, Jasiani village, Barberton Road, Qila Awan, Raja Colony, Shahkot Chak 11, Badumali Chak 113, Nazir Pakka village, and Chhota Panditwala.

Sahiwal reported the death of Shafqat (50) and injuries from roof collapses in Chak 106/9L, Chak 80/5L, and Chak 70/5L. In Bahawalnagar, three people were injured near the railway gate, while one person each was injured in roof and wall collapses in Manchanabad, Basti Kharlan Wali, and Toba Qalandar Shah.

Meanwhile, the respective bodies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government have heightened flood vigilance across the province as rains increased water levels in major rivers and raised the threat of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in northern districts.

According to the daily flood report issued by the Flood Cell of the Irrigation Department in the provincial metropolis, river discharge levels remained high but within normal limits across most of the rivers at various points.

While all rivers and nullahs were reported to be under “normal” flow conditions, authorities remained cautious given the rising levels of smaller tributaries and water channels like Kalpani, Siran, and Budni streams.

The situation is being actively monitored through a network of flow gauges and field stations across the province, the flood cell reported.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued a GLOF Alert the other day, warning of a heightened risk of glacial outburst floods and flash floods in the districts of Upper Chitral, Lower Chitral, Upper Dir, Swat and Upper Kohistan.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast a wet spell for the current week, with scattered rains and some heavy thunderstorms likely to impact the glaciated and mountainous regions of the province.

The PDMA advisory directed the deputy commissioners in the risky areas to undertake emergency preparedness measures, including evacuation drills, public awareness campaigns and the pre-placement of rescue personnel and emergency equipment.

Meanwhile, Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and property caused by rain-related incidents in Lahore and various other parts of Punjab. He underscored the urgent need for immediate relief to the affected communities and called for prompt, unconditional support for the agricultural sector in the rain-affected regions of Punjab.

Terming these incidents deeply distressing, Bilawal stressed the importance of ensuring proper medical treatment. He emphasized the need for immediate action to drain rainwater from low-lying areas of Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Daska, Hafizabad, Wazirabad, Nankana Sahib, Minchinabad, Bahawalnagar, Pakpattan, Arifwala, Kasur, Farooqabad, and numerous other towns and villages across Punjab.