RAWALPINDI, July 13: Seventeen people, including five members each of two families, died in rain-elated incidents during heavy monsoon showers that wrecked havoc in Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujrat and other parts of upper and central Punjab on Thursday, hospital officials said.

Hundreds of people moved to safe places as rainwater inundated low-lying areas, roads and streets.

In Jhelum, five members of a family were killed on Thursday night when the roof of their house caved in, police sources said.

Five members of another family were killed in Rawalpindi when the wall of an under-construction neighbouring house fell on their make-sift hut.

In Lahore, a scrap dealer was killed and two of his workers were injured when the roof of the shop they were working in collapsed.

An unidentified man was killed when he touched an electricity pole in the Qila Gujjar Singh area. In Gujrat, a man and a girl were killed when parts of a plaza caved in. A 16-year-old boy was swept away by a flooding nullah in Rawalpindi.

Meanwhile, a mini dam broke in the Jhelum area as a result six villages were flooded and a woman and her three children went missing.

The Punjab government has announced Rs100,000 compensation for each dead and Rs65,000 for each injured.

Meanwhile, heavy rains lashed Northern Areas from Wednesday night till Thursday.

The Karakoram Highway remained blocked from Wednesday night due to land-sliding near Chilas.