PESHAWAR: At least seven people, including two children, were killed and 23 others injured as heavy rains and thunderstorm wreaked havoc in the provincial metropolis on Thursday evening.

Hospital sources said that seven bodies and 14 injured were brought to the Hayatabad Medical Complex, four injured to Khyber Teaching Hospital and three to Lady Reading Hospital.

The most affected areas include Hayatabad, Regi, Karkhano Market and several others places where a number of buildings collapsed. Emergency was declared at the tertiary care hospitals on the directives of Chief Minister Pervez Khattak.

Deputy commissioner, Peshawar, Zaheerul Islam visited hospitals in the city to check facilities and enquire after the injured. He said that two children were killed when a mud wall collapsed in Regi area on the outskirts of Peshawar. Another wall collapsed in Karkhano area, resulting in death of one person and injuries to a woman. At least 23 people sustained injuries in different areas of the metropolis, according to reports.

Rescue 1122 said that a veranda of a house collapsed in Lande Arbab locality which caused injuries to three people. Another house collapsed in Badbher area, but no casualty was reported there. The downpour coupled with windstorm also uprooted trees and signboards, while electricity remained suspended in parts of Peshawar as transmission lines were broken.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2014