LAHORE: A 22-year-old man was electrocuted, seven people were injured after a wall collapsed and several low-lying localities remained inundated as rain lashed Lahore on Monday.

According to Rescue 1122, Umar, 22, son of Allah Ditta, died after touching a live electricity wire on Khokhar Road, Shadbagh.

In another rain-related incident, a house wall collapsed near Jamal Mustafa Mosque at Nain Sukh. Rescue 1122 rescued seven people alive from the debris. One woman sustained a serious head injury. All the injured were shifted to Mayo Hospital.

Heavy rain started at around 11:15am and continued in parts of the provincial capital.

“The rain is always a problem for us, as it forces us to stop on the way to refuge either in the underpasses or under the pedestrians or in the covered bus stoppages on the road,” commented a motorcyclist while talking to Dawn in Johar town. “Though I have a parachute cloth upper, I forgot it at my home today,” he added.

Gulshan-i-Ravi, Johar Town among the areas that received highest rainfall

According to Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), Gulshan-i-Ravi received the highest rainfall of 98mm by 3:18pm, followed by Johar Town (86.4mm), Samanabad (85.4mm), Iqbal Town (82.4mm), Saggian (57.6mm), Shadipura (54mm), Nishtar Town (53.6mm), Farrukhabad (50.8mm), Tajpura (40mm), Pani Wala Talab (40mm), Lakshmi Chowk (30mm), Kahna (25.2mm), Mughalpura (21.2mm), Chowk Nakhuda (21.2mm), Airport (19mm), Jail Road (17.2mm), Upper Mall (12.2mm), Wasa Head Office Gulberg (10.6mm) and Mannawan (2.6mm), while only a trace of rain was recorded on Hidayat Defence Road. The average rainfall across the Lahore region was recorded at 40.4mm.

The downpour inundated several low-lying localities, though Wasa claimed that all major roads and underpasses remained open to traffic after emergency drainage operations. Wasa Vice Chairman Chaudhry Shahbaz Ahmed, Director General Tayyab Farid and Managing Director Ghufran Ahmed directed the officials to keep all major roads and underpasses clear and ensure uninterrupted operation of disposal stations, pumps and generators.

Accompanied by Deputy Managing Director Abdul Latif, he visited Main Boulevard Gulberg, Kalma Chowk Underpass, Liberty Chowk, G Block Disposal Station, Qartaba Chowk, Gulshan-i-Ravi and Lakshmi Chowk, directing field staff to intensify dewatering operations and ensure complete sweeping of roads and streets. He warned that negligence in drainage operations would not be tolerated and said Wasa’s Monsoon Control Room was monitoring the city’s drainage network through live cameras.

Wasa claimed that major roads and underpasses had been cleared for traffic.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Nauman Yousaf directed all civic departments to remain on high alert, asking them to stay in the field and respond immediately to rain-related emergencies. He visited the under-construction Bhati Chowk area, and Azadi Chowk to review drainage operations, accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Ali Ijaz. He issued directions to accelerate drainage between Azadi Chowk and Bhati Chowk, asking Wasa to deploy additional suction machines and increase manpower.

The rain also caused tripping of many electricity feeders of 11kV capacity, suspending power supply in several residential and commercial areas.

The Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) says that its all field teams remained on high alert during the rain as the rain temporarily disrupted electricity supply to 20 feeders in parts of the Lesco region. However, power was restored to all affected feeders after prompt response by the field teams.

According to the company, Lesco’s electricity demand stood at 4,235MW against an allocated quota of 4,200MW, while the system drawl was recorded at 3,909MW.

Lesco CEO Ramzan Butt has urged consumers to continue observing safety precautions even after the rain, advising them to keep a safe distance from electricity wires, poles and transformers. He asked the public to report any emergency or power-related complaint through the utility’s helpline (118) or the nearest Lesco office. He also directed field officers and staff to strictly follow safety standard operating procedures during repair and restoration work.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2026