LAHORE, July 26: Rains claimed another life in the city as a young woman died in roof collapse in Sattu Katla area in early hours on Wednesday, taking the death toll to seven in the last two days. As many 14 people including six children got hurt in the incident.
Reports said the inmates of a two-storey building were sleeping when the roof of the upper portion caved in at 3.30am because of rain, burying all of them under the debris. Neighbourers informed the Rescue 1122 personnel, who pulled them out of the rubble and rushed them to a hospital.
One of the injured, 22-year-old Saima, died on way to the hospital, while 14 other people who got hurt in the incident were admitted there. According to doctors involved in their treatment their condition was stable.
Some city parts received scattered drizzle, and the weather remained pleasant under an overcast sky.
The metrological office forecast more rain with chances of thunderstorm during the next 24 hours. According to the Met officials, seasonal low lies over Balochistan, while monsoon current from the Arabian Sea was also reaching Punjab.
The city roads continue to suffer aftermath of rain, as even posh areas like the Defence Housing Authority are inundated.
“If a main avenue like Khayaban-e-Iqbal, leading to DHA, could be under knee-deep water for the better part of the day, one could imagine the conditions in low-lying areas,” says a city dweller.
The Met Office forecast widespread thunderstorm/rain for divisions of Rawalpindi, Lahore and Gujranwala, and scattered thunderstorm/rain for Sargodha, Multan, Faisalabad, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur.
Scattered rain may occur over the upper catchments of the Ravi, the Jhelum and the Chenab, along with northern and northeastern Punjab. Isolated rain may also occur over the upper catchments of the Indus, thus increasing water level and chances of floods along the banks.
According to the Flood Forecasting Division Lahore, the Indus at Tarbela and the Ravi at Balloki were in low flood while all other rivers were flowing below the flood level.