At least four dead, 28 injured in rain related-incidents across Punjab
LAHORE: At least four people have died and another 28 have been injured over the last 24 hours in rain-related incidents across Punjab as the province received heavy rainfall, a spokesperson for the Rescue 1122 Punjab said on Monday.
According to a weather alert issued by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) last week, a strong westerly weather system was likely to affect the upper catchments of all major rivers, along with Islamabad, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, causing “heavy to very heavy wind-thunderstorms and rains” from October 5 to October 7.
Punjab Rescue 1122 Spokesperson Farooq Ahmed said in a statement: “Over the last 24 hours, four people, including two children, were killed in rain-related incidents, while another 28 were left injured.”
He added that in Faisalabad, a 12-year-old girl and an eight-year-old boy lost their lives as the roof of their house caved in due to heavy rains, injuring another seven people.
“A 70-year-old man was killed in Nankana Sahib, while a 65-year-old man died in a similar incident in Kasur,” the statement quoted the spokesperson as saying.
“Meanwhile, at least six people were injured in separate roof collapse incidents in Samundri, Jaranwala, and Kakarwala, four were injured in Chak, three in Manawala, and five people were injured in Faqirwali, Allah Abad, and Sahiwal in separate incidents.”
Per the statement, another two people were injured in roof and wall collapse incidents in Lahore.
Separately, according to a statement issued by the spokesperson of the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), “Most districts of Punjab received heavy rains in the last 24 hours, with Multan recording the highest level of rain water at 113mm.”
It added that Faislabad recorded 78mm of rain, Bahawalpur 44mm, Lahore 40mm, Khaewal 28mm, Toba Tek Singh 25mm, Sialkot 19mm, Attock 10mm.
Gujranwala, Muree and Sahiwal recorded 8mm, Okara recorded 7mm, Narowal 6mm, Mangla 5mm, Gujrat and Hafizabad 3mm, while Layyah and Kasur recorded 1mm each, the spokesperson said.
PDMA warned that rainfall will continue in most parts of Punjab in the next 24 hours, with rain expected in Rawalpindi, Murree, Galiat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Gujranwala, Lahore, Gujarat, Sialkot, Narowal, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Okara, Sahiwal, Kasur, Jhang, Sargodha, and Mianwali.
The spokesperson also cautioned that the “water level in rivers may increase due to the rain, with water in the Chenab River to rise by October 7.”
“While the levels in the rivers Sutlej and Ravi will depend on the release of water from India,” the statement quoted him as saying. “Water level at Indus and Jhelum is expected to rise as well.”
The PDMA requested citizens to take precautionary measures and placed relevant authorities on high alert, as per the statement.
A rain emergency was declared in Multan after the district received heavy rainfall on Sunday night, followed by another spell today afternoon, Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) Managing Director Khalid Raza Khan said in a statement.
He requested people to take necessary precautions, including avoiding electricity poles and staying indoors. Staff Report
