CHAKWAL: A tragedy befell a family in Ghanwal village of Chakwal during the recent rains that battered the region on July 16 and 17, where two minor children lost their lives.

However, their deaths were not recorded by the district administration as the family was unable to contact Rescue 1122 despite repeated calls. As a result, they did not receive the compensation announced by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif during her visit to Chakwal on Saturday.

Dawn learned that a six-year-old girl died after being buried under the rubble of a roof that collapsed, while an infant was swept away in a torrent after the van carrying both children to the hospital fell into a culvert.

Bilal Hussain, 34, had three daughters, while his elder brother had three sons. Two weeks ago, the elder brother was blessed with a fourth son, whom he gave to Bilal as a gesture of goodwill.

On Wednesday, July 16, to celebrate the arrival of the new male child, Bilal arranged a meal for his relatives and fellow villagers. The infant was named Ahmed Bilal.

That night, while Bilal, his wife, his three daughters, and the newly adopted child were asleep in their bedroom, a portion of the roof caved in. Six-year-old Maryam Bibi, a grade-one student, was buried under the rubble, while the infant was struck by a falling tile. Villagers retrieved Maryam Bibi’s body from the debris. She was unconscious and likely died on the spot.

As the family rushed to a nearby hospital, another tragedy struck. “The rainwater gushing from the fields was overflowing onto the road. As we tried to cross the culvert, the vehicle fell about four feet, as the culvert had already been washed away by the deluge,” Bilal told Dawn.

The torrent swept the vehicle 150 to 200 metres downstream. There were eight people in the vehicle, including the two children. “We managed to get out of the water, but Maryam Bibi and Ahmed Bilal were lost. We found Maryam, but the baby could not be found,” Bilal said in a barely audible voice as he tried in vain to hold back his tears.

The family was left stranded in the fields during the night as the rain continued to lash the area. Bilal said they managed to return home in the early hours of Thursday.

MPA Malik Tanveer Aslam, who visited the family, told Dawn that he had requested the deputy commissioner to forward the case to the chief minister. DC Sarah Hayat told Dawn that all ten compensation cheques had already been distributed. “We do not have more funds, and the case of both children has been sent to Lahore,” she said.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2025