Six killed, 20 injured as heavy rain lashes Punjab
SIALKOT: Daylong widespread torrential rain lashed several parts of Punjab on Wednesday killing six people in Sialkot and Gujrat and injuring 20 others elsewhere.
In Sialkot district, four persons, including two minors and two linemen of the Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco), were killed and six others, including five children, injured seriously in two roof collapse incidents.
In Dhillum Ballagun village, Sambrial tehsil, cousins Hassan Dilshad, 5, and Asma Rafi, 12, were sleeping in the room when its wall collapsed during the rain, killing both of them on the spot. Rescue 1122 personnel pulled out their bodies from the debris.
District Coordination Officer (DCO) Dr Asif Tufail said Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced Rs500,000 for the grieved families.
Gepco linemen Arif and Ashfaq were electrocuted while repairing a transformer during the rain in Khuraney village near Kingra, Pasrur tehsil. Their colleague Aslam received critical burns and was admitted to hospital.
In Khanpur Syedan village, Pasrur tehsil, Haleema Bibi and her five minor children were injured seriously when the roof of their room collapsed. They were admitted to the Pasrur THQ Civil Hospital in critical condition.
The Met office recorded 123mm of rainfall in the Cantt area and 110mm on the airport side that began early morning and continued all day with intermittent thunder. Most parts of Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial and Pasrur were inundated, paralysing civic, business, trade and social lives. Low-lying urban and rural areas were also inundated.
Some people got out of their houses to enjoy much-needed respite from the hot and humid weather with wind blowing all day. The widespread rain also sounded an alarm for flood in these areas, exposing poor performance of tehsil municipal administrations to drain rainwater.
Three to four feet of rainwater and sewage inundated most areas and all main roads. Water also entered houses and factories in the Small Industrial Estate.
In Daska city, walls of the Govt Boys Degree College and General Post Office collapsed. The decades-old sewerage and drainage lines were choked and overflowing in Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial and Pasrur. Electricity and telecommunication lines were damaged due to which power remained suspended for several hours and electric motors meant to pump out water could not function.
The Met office forecast more widespread heavy rain in the region and all catchment areas of neighbouring India-held Kashmir.
A low-level flood was reported in River Chenab at Head Marala, as the flow of water soared due to the ongoing fresh spell of torrential monsoon rains.
According to the District Flood Control Room officials, water level rose to 147,072 cusecs in the Chenab. The flow was 18,427 cusecs in River Tavi near Head Marala. Water level rose to 26,888 cusecs in Nullah Dek near Chahoor in Pasrur tehsil.
DCO Tufail reviewed flood preventive arrangements made by the district administration in collaboration with Pakistan Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). He claimed the flood situation was under control.
In Daska, the Govt Maternity Health Clinic was inundated with three to four feet high rainwater and sewage. Expectant women and even the medical staff and paramedics were unable to visit the clinic due to stagnant water.
There was no drainage system in sight at this sole government maternity facility in Daska. The outer walls of the clinic had also collapsed previously due to rains after which locals had turned its lawn into a dump.