Two killed as rainstorm hits Peshawar
PESHAWAR: Two people were killed and more than 44 suffered injuries when stormy winds blowing at the speed of 95 kilometres per hour and heavy downpour hit Peshawar and its surrounding districts on Wednesday.
Speedy winds smashed down trees, billboards, electricity cables, boundary walls and roofs of gas stations in different localities of the provincial capital that caused injuries. The storm also caused major power breakdown in the city.
Powers supply remained suspended to 55 per cent areas of Peshawar after heavy rain and strong windstorm. A high transmission line at Board Bazaar area was snapped after roof of a nearby building collapsed and fell down on it.
Zulfiqar Babakhel, spokesman for Lady Reading Hospital, told Dawn that two dead bodies were received while 40 injured including 14 women were treated at the hospital’s emergency centre.
He said that several wounded persons were referred to wards after providing first aid to them. The deceased had been identified as Jehangir Khan, 27, and Omar, 2.
The local Met office said that winds were blowing at the speed of 95 kilometres per hour in Peshawar and 24 millimetres rain was recorded in 20 minutes. Rainwater submerged roads and streets and also inundated low lying areas.
Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) had already issued weather alert and predicted pre-monsoon rains. The authority had directed district administrations and all line departments to be vigilant and take precautionary measures to cope with the situation.
Rescue 1122 said that storm blew up roofs of 14 houses in Peshawar and Mardan. Rescue 1122 spokesman Bilal Faizi said that Bashirabad, Academy Town, Lahori Gate, Kohat Road, Charsadda Road, Faqir Kallay, University Town, Hussain Chowck, Hayatabad and Patang Chowck were the affected areas and rescue teams brought wounded people to hospital.
Storm also caused widespread damage to power transmission lines in Peshawar and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Trees fell on transmission lines that damaged electricity cables and poles. The branches of trees fell on the roads that caused traffic jam.
Peshawar Electric Supply Company spokesman Shaukat Afzal said that total 408 feeders across the province including 220 in Peshawar had tripped that caused power breakdown in urban and rural areas. He said that field staff immediately restored 40 feeders in Peshawar and complete restoration of electricity would take time.