Heavy rains claim nine lives in Punjab

Pre-monsoon wet spell also hits
parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Azad Kashmir

LAHORE/TOBA TEK SINGH: The ongoing spell of heavy rains claimed the lives of at least nine people in different parts of Punjab.

According to details, three labourers were killed when the roof of a dilapidated house collapsed in Lahore’s Raiwind Road area. A worker of Municipal Corporation Lahore was electrocuted, while four people, including children, were wounded in another roof collapse incident in Green Town.

And in Ahmedpur Sial, a father and his son were killed after being buried under the rubble of a collapsed private school wall. Another death was reported from the Ghausia Chowk area of Pirmahal where a woman, Kalsoom Akhtar, died after the roof of her house collapsed.

Power supply was suspended in the town as strong winds accompanying the thunderstorm damaged power pylons and uprooted hundreds of trees, besides destroying the cotton crop and orange orchards.

Separately, the roof of a house caved in at Samma Satta, Bahawalpur, resulting in the death of a woman. Two other women were also injured during the incident. In another rain-related incident, a labourer was killed as the roof of an under-construction house caved in, whereas three people were in a similar incident in Mandi Bahauddin.

Three persons were also injured in Khanewal as the roof of a house collapsed, while seven others received injuries in a similar incident in Multan. Two women sustained burns when electric wire fell down in the Muslim Town area of Vehari.

There were reports of several other people being injured in other parts of Punjab including Shorkot and Mian Channu. Meanwhile, the driver of a speeding truck was injured as the vehicle plunged into ravine due to landslide triggered by downpour in Azad Kashmir.

On the other hand, pre-monsoon rains in several parts of the country, including Lahore and Faisalabad, turned the weather pleasant. Rain was also reported in Gujranwala, Multan, Bahawalpur, Okara Sahiwal, Khanewal, Rahim Yar Khan, Vehari and Attock.

Parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Islamabad, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan also received rainfall. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted that the current spell of rain continue till today (Thursday). The Met Office says more rain is expected in the northern areas of the country, with pleasant weather expected along the Sindh coast during the Eid holidays.