SAHIWAL, Aug 30: Two boys were electrocuted while seven others sustained injuries and 20 mud houses collapsed due to heavy downpour accompanied by strong winds here on Friday evening.

The gusty wind also uprooted trees on the Noorshah-Sahiwal Road suspending the traffic for some four hours. The city plunged into darkness as to the result of 11-hour-long power failure.

The Wapda authorities said the long-hour of the power failure was because of some technical fault in the grid station.

Tariq (13) of Thatha village and Zaheer Ahmed (7) of Asadullahpur village were electrocuted when they touched the electric polls which were electrified. They received severe shocks and died on the spot.

At least 20 mud houses collapsed in Tibba Hamid Sahoo, Miran Shah and other katchi abadis, injuring Humayun, Saeed, Akhtar, Ali Ahmad, Farzand Ali, Shamshad Bibi and Rasoolan Bibi. They were admitted to hospitals.

The communication system also suffered badly as more than 250 telephone connections became silent.

A number of streets and roads, including the GT Road passing through the city, inundated with rainwater, causing much inconvenience to residents and passersby.

VEHARI: Heavy rain converted the city into a large pond here on Saturday evening and at least eight motorcyclists were injured due to open manholes on roads under two to three feet of water.