Heavy rain inundates low-lying areas

Two electrocuted as electricitywire falls down in rainwater

LAHORE

Heavy rain lashed the provincial metropolis early in the morning on Sunday, creating troubles for the residents of low-lying localities as  rainwater accumulated and remained there for hours.

The rain which started around 2.30am continued for several hours, resulting in disruption of power supply too. Residents of various localities complained that they witnessed over 6 to 8 hours power failure after the rain.

The residents of the localities falling around the under-construction Orange Line Train project also faced serious difficulties because rainwater filled the trenches as well as the roads blocking all kinds of traffic.

Stagnant rainwater was also found on many roads inside Samanabad, Rajgarh, Johar Town, Salamatpura, Taj Bagh, Township, Green Town, Gulshan-e-Ravi, Nawankot, Bund Road, Mansoora, Kot Lakhpat, Katcha Jail Road, Faisal Town, Thokar Niaz Beig, Sattokutla, Ichhra, Shah Jamal, Shadman and Saadi Park.

Met officials said 26mm rain was recorded in the city. Following the rain, humidity level increased to 62 percent while mercury dropped to 34 C. For today, they predicted rain-thunderstorm with gusty winds at isolated places in Punjab; including Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sargodha, Faisalabad and Bahawalpur divisions; upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; including Malakand and Hazara divisions); north-east Balochistan, incluidng Quetta, Zhob, Sibbi, Naseerabad and Kalat divisions; Islamabad, FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir. They said there were also chances of landslides in Malakand and Hazara divisions, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Light rain/drizzle is also likely at Sindh-Makran coast while hot and humid weather elsewhere in the country.Met Office said that seasonal low lay over north Balochistan and its adjoining area. They said a westerly wave was affecting upper and central parts of the country and was likely to persist during the next 24 hours. Rain was also witnessed in other cities including Kamra (11 mm), Toba Tek Singh (01 mm), Muzaffarabad (18 mm), Rawalakot (03 mm), Garidupatta (01 mm), Parachinar (08 mm), Balakot (04 mm) and Zhob (02 mm).

Sunday’s highest maximum temperature was recorded at Dalbandin and Nokkundi where mercury remained at 45°C.

Meanwhile, a man and a woman were electrocuted when a live wire fell down in rainwater at Nishtar Colony, Galaxo Town on Sunday.

Police said Muhammad Azeem, 40, resident of Sukkur, received fatal electric shocks when he was passing through the rainwater with a switched off motorcycle. 

Meanwhile, Kanwal of Sialkot fell into the rainwater at the same place and she also received electric shocks and died on the spot. Police handed over the bodies to their families.