SWABI, June 9: Thunderstorm, accompanied by light rain and hail, caused a nine-hour power breakdown here, forcing people to spend a sleepless night.

The breakdown on Sunday night plunged the entire district into darkness. People confronted a lot of difficulties as a result. The regular power supply was not restored till Monday morning.

The thunderstorm and hail lashed the district and its suburbs and continued doing so in intervals until Monday morning.

The Pesco staff failed to restore the power supply at night. And due to heat and mosquitoes, it was not possible to sleep. Those who did sleep, did so only in snatches.

According to the Pesco officials, the staff was busy during the whole night trying to restore power supply, but the continuing storm and fallen trees made the task hard to accomplish.

At 8pm the power breakdown occurred, and the supply was restored twice, but none lasted more than 10 minutes.

The thunderstorm damaged various crops, especially tobacco across the district. The hailstorm took in its sweep Tordher and its suburbs in the tehsil Chota Lahor.

TWO SHOT DEAD: Two people were gunned down in separate incidents here on Monday.

In Purmoli village, one Abdus Sattar was shot dead by his cousin when he was on his way to fields from home early in the morning. The killer made good his escape.

The father of the deceased registered an FIR against Abdulqahar. Police were conducting raids in different areas to arrest him.

In the mountainous belt of Gahji, one Zareed Khan was shot dead by his rivals Fazal Wahid and Jamil Wahid. The victim had exchanged harsh words with the killers a few days back.

Police have registered a case on the report of the victim’s father and started investigations. No arrest was made in the two cases.