22 people die as rain flash flood hit several cities in Pakistan
- 18 Aug 2024
22 people, including women and children, lost their lives while several others were injured in heavy rains, flash flood and roof collapse incidents during rain across Pakistan on Saturday.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) warned of potential urban flooding due to the combination of heavy rain and strong winds in various cities.
According to media reports, the NDMA alert said that multiple cities including Lahore, Sialkot, and Narowal are particularly at risk of urban flooding from heavy downpours over the next 24 to 48 hours and a medium to high-level flood surge was also expected in the Chenab River.
The NDMA officials have also indicated that Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, and Multan may face urban flooding, with a heightened risk of flash floods in the mountainous streams of Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur.
Flash floods also affected the traffic on Pak-Afghan Highway in Landikotal tehsil of Khyber district.
In the latest incident, a four-year-old girl was killed while her three family members were buried underneath the rubble after the roof of their house collapsed due to persistent rain in Sadiqabad, Punjab province.
In People’s Colony-II in Faisalabad, Punjab, a woman died while her husband was seriously wounded after the roof of their house came crashing down due to rain. In Pindi Gheb, Attock, four members of a family were killed while two others, including a child, were injured when the roof of their house collapsed due to incessant rain.
A woman died instantly while her five children were seriously wounded after the roof of their house caved in in Baddani area near Kashmore in Sindh province.
In Mehar, Sindh, a 16-year-old girl, identified as Naveeda Chandio, died after the roof of her home caved in due to several hours of downpour. In yet another incident of roof collapse this time reported from Jaccobabad, a woman and her son were killed when they got buried underneath the rubble, while a man died in Larkana.
Meanwhile, various districts of Balochistan province have been hit by torrential rains. Flash floods have entered homes and shops and the communication system has been disrupted. The northeastern region of Balochistan, including Chaman, is under the influence of a powerful weather system.
The situation is even worse in some places Zhob, Dera Bugti, Pishin, Ziarat, Jafarabad and others where roads have been flooded while crops have been badly damaged.
Intermittent rain continuing in Dera Bugti and its suburbs for the last three days has badly affected routine life as different roads and localities are under several feet of water.
In Kohlu, traffic remained suspended for the third consecutive day on Sunday after the road connecting the city to Sibbi was washed away by floodwater.
Agencies
