Five dead as furious storm hits Bahawalnagar

At least 65 injured after strong winds knock down trees, billboards

BAHAWALPUR: A severe dust storm claimed the lives of at least five people, including two minor girls and two elderly people, on Saturday night in Bahawalnagar district.

At least 65 people, many of them children and women, were injured as a furious storm hit the area. Strong winds knocked down trees, billboards and power lines, suspending power supply in the entire district.

The administration declared emergency in DHQ Hospital Bahawalnagar and called in all the doctors to tackle with the large number of injured.

In the city area, two elderly persons – Jam Muhammad of Mohallah Qaziyan and Muhammad Siddique of Hussainabad – and a 10-year-old girl of Bhatta Colony were killed besides injuries to 27 others as several incidents of roof and wall collapse were reported.  In Chishtian tehsil, six-year-old Hadiya died in Chak No 16, while a woman Farih, who came from Haroonabad, died at the THQ hospital. Another 28 people were injured in different localities and had been shifted to the THQ hospital.

There were also reports of another causality, which stated that a man, Sain, resident of Chak No 100 near Faqirwali had also died but it wasn’t confirmed by the rescue or hospital source.

According to the spokesperson for the DPO Bahawalnagar, the entire police force was on rescue – a process hampered by the suspension of power supply.