HYDERABAD, April 4: As moderate to heavy rains lashed Sindh on Thursday night and Friday morning, two people died in Sanghar while the ceilings of the emergency ward of Naushahro Feroze Civil Hospital have developed cracks in it.

Reports from other parts of the province indicated that wheat crops have been damaged due to the heavy rains which were already forecast by meteorological office.

Power supply remained badly affected while powerful windstorm uprooted signboards and trees in many areas.

In Hyderabad, rains accompanied by windstorm lashed the city. Met office recorded 8mm of rains at its airport office on Thursday while 6.5mm of rain was recorded on Friday morning.

People were enjoying pleasant weather change and went for picnics.

The rains proved beneficial, according to agriculturists, to standing crops and to the land that was dry for three months.

Due to water shortage at the Kotri barrage not only the non-perennial but perennial canals were also not getting proper discharges of water.

Met office has predicted partly cloudy weather and chances of rains throughout the defunct Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Larkana and Sukkur divisions.

In Sanghar district, rain caused considerable damage to wheat, oilseed (sarsoon) and fennel (sounf) crops.

Rain started early on Friday and continued intermittently for more than two hours in Khadro, Shahpur Chakar, Sinjhoro and Jhol.

Two persons died due to rain related accidents. Aftab Chan at Sinjhoro and Manjhi Khan Samejo at Khipro were struck by lightning and died on the spot.

Naushahro Feroze, Moro, Kandiaro, Mithiani, Tharushah, Bhirya, Bhirya Road, Mehrabpur, Padidan and other towns of the district received rain on Thursday night.

The wheat crop at encampment or standing in the fields was affected due to rain.

The ceilings of emergency ward of civil hospital Naushahro Feroze were damaged and developed cracks due to the rain, hence the ward and the CMO office shifted there from on Friday.

The Medical Superintendent and CMO Dr Mohammad Ibrahim told journalists that the building was constructed just nine years ago.

They said that engineers of the building department had visited the building on Thursday and they will arrange its repair and after their clearance the emergency ward and CMO office will be again shifted to the ward.

Mirpurkhas Umerkot districts were hit by rain coupled with thunderstorm on Thursday night after which power supply was disconnected. Signboards were uprooted at different places in the district.

Sindh Abadgar Board Mirpurkhas chapter general secretary Imtiaz Ali Panhwar, Mohammad Moosa Mahar and Javed Babar said that standing wheat crop had suffered losses due to rains.

However, they said that there was acute shortage of irrigation water and water was needed for sowing of sugarcane, cotton and chilli crops.

They deplored that due to shortage of water in Sukkur Barrage, only 4,800 cusecs water was released in the Nara canal which was not sufficient to fulfil requirements of drinking water in its command area.

Jacobabad district received heavy rain with lightening. With the first drop of water, electricity went off. Thul, Kashmore and Kandhkot also received rains.

In Shikarpur, mango and date crops were badly affected. Low lying areas came under rainwater which could cause spread of malaria.

In Khairpur, electricity went off with first drop of rain which was restored on Friday. The rain is likely to affect mango, date palm orchards and wheat crops.

Mithi, Islamkot, Diplo, Nagarparkar, Chelhar, Kantio, Chhachhro and other parts of Thar received scattered showers on Thursday night as well on Friday.