SUKKUR: Three people died and 25 suffered injuries in rain-related incidents while dozens of sheds of filling stations were blown away and standing crops suffered widespread damage as intermittent heavy rain accompanied by strong winds and hailstones continued to batter upper Sindh region on Friday.

Five people had died and scores injured when the downpour and hailstones preceded by a strong dust storm had started lashing the area a day ago.

It struck again Sukkur, Larkana, Khairpur, Naushahro Feroze, Kandhkot, Kashmore, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Ghotki, Daharki and Pannu Aqil, causing widespread damage to standing crops of wheat, harvested wheat lying in fields and pulses and a surge in water level in the River Indus and canals.

Dust storm was also reported from many towns in the afternoon which dropped visibility level and stranded many vehicles on roads.

Due to slipperiness caused by rain, two buses coming from Punjab overturned on the National Highway near the Pannu Aqil cantonment causing injuries to 25 passengers.

Met officials told Dawn the current spell of rain was expected to continue for the next three days.

The strong winds accompanying the rain blew away sheds of dozens of CNG and petrol filling stations along the National Highway in Khairpur, Shikarpur and Kashmore, causing injuries to several people and damaging many vehicles.

KHAIRPUR: Two shepherds were struck to death by lightning and a minor boy was buried alive when his mud-thatched house caved in on him during heavy rain in different areas of the district.

Toto Bheel and another Bheel boy were killed when they were hit by lightning in different areas of Nara taluka while grazing herds of goats while six-year-old Rehan died when his mud-thatched house collapsed on him near Pipri area in Gambat taluka.

NAUSHAHRO FEROZE: Heavy rain coupled with hailstones caused damage to standing crops in Naushahro Feroze and adjoining towns of Kandiaro, Halani, Kotri Kabir, Khan Wahen and Tharo Shah. Farmers were not so happy at the rain at this time of the year and said it would harm standing wheat crop and orchards.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2015

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