Rain related incidents claim 10 lives in Lahore, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
LAHORE/PESHAWAR, July 05 (SABAH): Incessant showers on Wednesday broke a 30-year-old record when Lahore city received over 290mm of rain within a span of 10 hours, resulting in the death of at least seven people, officials said.
“Three people were electrocuted, two died after roofs collapsed, and a child drowned after rain water accumulated,” Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi told journalists in Lahore.
In an update on his official Twitter handle, the interim CM said the rain death toll rose to seven.
The metropolis received 291mm of rain, during which more than a dozen areas recorded more than 200mm of rain, Commissioner Lahore Mohammad Ali Randhawa said, adding this is happening due to climate change and strong monsoon.
The city administration and all officers and staff of Water and Sanitation Authority (Wasa) Lahore are fully mobilised to ensure the drainage of rainwater, he added.
“Earlier this year, Lahore received the maximum rainfall of 256 mm on June 26 while in 2022, 238mm of rain was recorded in Lahore,” Randhawa said.
The commissioner said that in 2018, 288mm of rain was recorded in Lahore, adding the city has not received so much rain in such a short period of time in the last 30 years.
Meanwhile, MD Wasa Ghafran Ahmed said all low-lying areas would be cleared within a few hours after the rain stops.
According to Wasa Monsoon Control Room, the city’s Lakhsmi Chowk area received 291mm of rain, Nishter Town 277mm, Qurtaba Chowk 270mm, Gulshan-e-Ravi 268mm, Pani Wala Talab 268mm, Johar Town 260mm, Tajpura 249mm, and Iqbal Town 232mm.
The rain spell, which started earlier in the morning, paralysed the city as all the major roads and connecting streets were waterlogged making commuting impossible. Many vehicles broke down on the roads due to knee-deep water.
Rainwater entered the houses in low-lying areas of Shah Jamal and Tajpura while the electricity supply was cut, making life more miserable.
Punjab Caretaker CM Mohsin Naqvi said that record-breaking rain had caused urban flooding while the canal overflowed following heavy downpours. “All the cabinet members and administration are in the field to clear the water. I am also monitoring the situation in the field and getting updates from all over Lahore continuously,” the chief minister said as he visited the city to oversee relief operations.
Meanwhile at least three people died in rain-related incidents in different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) report, two people died in Shangla, and one in Karak. The PDMA said eight people were injured, while seven houses sustained partial damage. One house was completely damaged. An official of the KP relief department said that relief would be given to the victims as per the government policy.
According to the Met office, the rainfall (in mm) recorded in various cities during the past 24 hours till 8:00 AM (Wednesday) is given:
Punjab: Lahore (Nishtar Town 180, Lakshmi Chowk 178, Qurtaba Chowk 177, Tajpura 162, Paniwala Talab 159, Johar Town 155, Iqbal Town 138, Gulshan Ravi 136, Farrukhabad 135, Upper Mall 132, Mughalpura 126, Wasa Head Office and Chowk Nakhuda 122, Samanabad 121, Jail Road 100, city 94 and airport 86).
Gujranwala 78, Sialkot (City 72, Airport 71), Jhelum 59, Narowal 48, Mangla 42, Chakwal 40, Norporthal 38, Mandi Bahauddin 38, Gujrat 33, Kot Addu 26, Murree 16, Kasur 11, Faisalabad 10, Hafizabad 09, Bhakkar 05, Rawalpindi (Shamsabad 07, Chaklala 01), Joharabad 03.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Kakul 33, Malam Jabba 28, DI Khan (City 25, A/P 05) Balakot 20, Dir (Lower Dir 19, Upper Dir 04), Bannu 18, Saidu Sharif 13, Parachinar 05, Pattan 04. Azad Kashmir: Muzaffarabad (City 17 Airport 14) and Rawalakot 08.
Gilgit-Baltistan: Hunza 03, Astore and Gilgit 01. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Meteorological Department has predicted heavy rainfall for other parts of the province, including Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Toba Tek Singh, and Mandi Bahauddin.
The department highlighted the infiltration of moist currents from the Arabian Sea into the upper regions of the country. Additionally, an impact from a westerly wave is being observed in the upper and central parts of Pakistan, it added.
“Rain-wind/thundershower is expected in Kashmir Murree, Galliyat, Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Jhelum, Attock, Chakwal, Sargodha, Mianwali, Faisalabad, Jhang, T T Singh, Bahawalnagar, Narowal, Sialkot, Sahiwal, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, Lahore, Bhakkar, Layyah, Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan districts,” the Met Office said.
In KP, rain and thunderstorm is expected in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Malakand, Balakot, Charsadda, Mardan, Peshawar, Kohat, Kurram, Bannu, Waziristan and Dera Ismail Khan.
In its forecast issued yesterday, the PMD had also warned of urban flooding as a result of expected heavy rainfall in low-lying areas of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan in the next two days.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had issued directives for all relevant departments to stay vigilant due to predicted rainfall until July 8. Additionally, it advised tourists and visitors to stay informed about weather conditions before travelling, while urging farmers and livestock owners to take necessary precautions considering the current weather conditions.
“Rain, wind and thundershowers are expected in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, GB, KP, Islamabad, the Potohar region, upper and central Punjab, and northeast Balochistan. Isolated heavy falls are also expected in upper Punjab, Islamabad, Kashmir, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the period. Hot and humid weather is expected in other parts of the country.” According to an NDMA spokesperson, these can trigger land sliding in hilly areas and flooding in the lowlands.