Six drown in nullah as heavy rain plays havoc in Pindi

RAWALPINDI: Six persons drowned in nullah in different places while seven people were evacuated during heavy rain here on Wednesday.

Three persons drowned while one missing in Soan River during heavy rainfall. The bad incident appeared here at Street No.6, Jabbar Colony Jhamra Morgha Road, Rawalpindi. Total 11 persons drowned in a deep nullah going to Soan River in which three people died, one missing and seven people were evacuated by rescue teams.

The victims have been identified as Musarrat Bibi w/o Muhammad Riaz 35 and Muhammad Zaheer s/o Riaz Ahmed 9 and Anayat Shah s/o Riaz Shah 21 drowned in Soan River. Their bodies were recovered by Rescue 1122 who shifted these bodies to Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH).

Muhammad Wahab S/O Riaz Shah 10 was yet missing in Soan River till the filing of this report. While seven drowned people named Nabeela Bibi d/o Riaz Ahmed 18, Dilshad Bibi w/o Riaz Shah 35, Muhammad Liaquat 17, Muhammad Zian 13, Ghazanfar 12, Muhammad Iftikhar 16 and Muhammad Riaz 55 were evacuated by rescue teams.

According to the preliminary police investigation, victim family was settled at the brink of a deep and wide nullah here at Street No.6, Jabbar Colony Jhamra Morgha Road, Rawalpindi. Nullah became overflowed in which family persons drowned. The house where the family members settled also floated in heavy rainfall. People nearby heard the drowned persons shouting and called Rescue 1122 emergency services. Rescue service personnel recovered the bodies of the two persons who were pronounced dead.

Rescue 1122 Official Spokesman Muhammad Farooq Butt told ‘The News’ that they have shifted all dead bodies to Benazir Bhutto Hospital. He said that they are trying to find out missing boy. He said the poor condition of the house at the brink of a deep nullah is main reason of this unfortunate incident.

On the other side, 7-year-old Ali Abbas son of Ghulam Abbas has drowned in drain in Dhok Kashmirian falling in the jurisdiction of Airport Police Station. The rescuers recovered the dead body and handed it to his heirs.

While, the Rawat police have found a dead body drowned in nullah identified as Mohsin Baig, 32 who was resident of Khurram Colony. His car was slipped into the nullah.

Meanwhile, heavy rainfall played havoc in several low lying areas of Rawalpindi city and Cantonment Board. The water level here at Nullah Leh at Katarian point touched to 11-feet and 12.5-feet at Gawalmandi point.

The low lying areas of Raheemabad, Nadeem Colony, Jan Colony, Ahmedabad, Adiala, Arya Muhallah, Shah Khalid Colony, Rehmatabad, Tehmasabad, Dhok Banaras, Range Road, Quaid-e-Azam Colony and several other localities faced hell like situation during heavy rainfall. Similarly, all underpasses were filled with rainwater and all kinds of traffic jammed.

The Deputy Commissioner (DC), Rawalpindi Chaudhry Muhammad Ali Randahawa said that he is continuously warning families settled around Nullah Leh to migrate immediately. He felt sorry on the bad incident happed here at Jabbar Colony Morgha. Majority of areas in city and Cantonment Board faced power blackout during heavy rainfall.