SWABI: A man was killed and three others were injured as a thunderstorm accompanied by rain and hailstones hit Swabi district on Friday, police said.

The victim was found on Topi Bridge on the Swabi-Topi Road and the injured people belonged to Maneri and Adina villages.

Reports from different regions said boundary walls of several houses collapsed and standing crops damaged. The floodwater flowed on the roads as the drains were choked.

In some areas hailstones also fell damaging stranding maize and sugarcane crops and vegetables.

The thunderstorm also uprooted signboards and affected electricity supply system. A power transformer near the Topi police station was burnt. Elsewhere, trees fell on transmission lines in different regions. The fallen trees also blocked roads and caused suspension of traffic. Two huge trees fell on an electricity pole in tehsil headquarters hospital, Topi.

Meanwhile, a local court on Friday handed 35 and 15 years in jail to two persons for killing a taxi driver and snatching his vehicle.

Sajjadullah of Malikabad and Aminullah of Pabini-Gadoon Amazai had killed taxi driver, Majahid Khan, and snatched his vehicle in Bisak region of Gadoon Amazai on Jan 23, 2016.

Their trial started in Feb 2016 and the prosecution had successfully proved the charges against both the accused.

The model sessions court judge also fined Sajjadullah Rs500,000 and Aminullah Rs100,000, respectively.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2019