PESHAWAR: Eight people, including three sisters, were killed and several others suffered injuries in Charsadda district and Khyber Agency when a strong windstorm coupled by torrential rain hit parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas on the night between Thursday and Friday.

Scores of houses collapsed in Charsadda, Shabqadar, Khyber Agency and many other areas, while uprooting of trees and power pylons by strong winds was also reported.

The rain and strong winds inundated roads in the provincial capital, inconveniencing motorists and motorcyclists.

The rainwater entered houses in the low-lying areas to the misery of the people.

In Charsadda, five people were killed and seven were injured, while several houses collapsed in incidents related to torrential rainfall in Shabqadar tehsil of Charsadda district.

The windstorm also uprooted trees and signboards in many localities of Charsadda suspending vehicular traffic. The windstorm also destroyed crops on a vast area in Charsadda.

The rainwater entered the Post Office, Wapda offices, Zarai Taraqiyat Bank and other government buildings in Shabqadar and destroyed furniture and official record.

In Landi Kotal, three sisters were killed, while two more girls suffered injuries when roofs of two houses caved in due to heavy rain in Jamrud on Thursday night.

Family sources said three daughters of Rahim Gul died instantly after the roof of their house collapsed in Malak Shaga locality of Ghundi.

Local residents said two more girls in the area were injured in a similar incident.

The torrential rain also destroyed standing crops on a vast area, while a large number of trees were uprooted by strong winds followed by heavy downpour. The rainfall also caused landslide at several places on the busy Peshawar-Landi Kotal Road and thus, hampering smooth flow of traffic.

PROLONGED POWER SUSPENSION: Most parts of Peshawar plunged into darkness for many hours on Thursday night due to thundershowers.

The stagnant knee-deep rainwater on roads mainly due to clogged drains caused many cars and motorcycles to break down.

According to Bilal Ahmad Faizi, a spokesman for Rescue 1122, eight people suffered minor injuries when a passenger bus overturned on Bara Road. The injured were later shifted to local hospital.

The spokesman said many people had been rescued and transported to safer places after they were seen stranded due to heavy rains and storm.

According to him, the worst-affected areas included Sarband, Bara Road, Wahid Garhi, Abshar Colony, Warsak Road, Askari-5, Gul Bahar, Miskinabad, Nauthiya and Palosai Tehkal.

Among the injured were Razim, Mujeeb, Imtiaz, Haq Nawaz, Asif, Khalid, Ahsan and an elderly woman.

Power suspensions were reported mostly in Hayatabad, University Road, Bara Gate, Warsak Road, Sher Shah Soori Road, Dalazak Road and Peshawar city areas.

Peshawar Electric Supply Company spokesman Shaukat Afzal said the rain was so heavy that it caused power disruption.

He claimed the Pesco staff made strenuous efforts to restore power supply.

“Four of our staff members sustained injuries while repairing lines in the darkness of night under heavy rains and storm,” he said, adding that most power feeders were affected but the power supply was restored by Friday morning.

The spokesman said the Pesco staff at the cost of their lives had repaired the system to ensure smooth power supply to the consumers.

Meanwhile, the Pesco announced that power supply to Canal Town, University Road, Nasir Bagh, Dalazak Road, OPF Pharipura, Wadpaga, Gulbela and Hattar would remain suspended today (Saturday) from various grid stations due to maintenance.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2015

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