Eight die in rain-related incidents; low-level floods in various areas

At least eight people have died in rain-related incidents across the country since Tuesday as the Met Office forecast heavy to light showers throughout the week. 

In Gujranwala, six people died when the roofs of their houses caved in Wednesday morning due to heavy rain.

The first incident took place near Awan Chowk in the city, where a woman, her daughter and son died under the debris when the rain brought down the roof of their house. Another girl was injured in the incident and taken to District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital .

Similarly, in Arif Town near Jhangi, a woman, identified as Saima, and her two children died when the roof of their house collapsed.

Moreover, the heavy downpour inundated the only government health facility in Gujranwala — the DHQ Hospital.

Gujrat recorded 138 millimetres (mm) of rain whereas Gujranwala 106mm and Sialkot 113mm.

Similarly, in Zhob, Balochistan, two people were reported dead from drowning in a storm drain.

Moreover, heavy rains are expected to lash Kalat, Zhob, Naseerabad and Sibi districts of Balochistan from Friday, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). 

The deputy commissioners of the relevant districts have been directed to take necessary measures to prevent any untoward incident, the authority stated on Wednesday. PDMA has also ordered that Section 144 be imposed in the likely-affected areas to prevent people from gathering at popular picnic spots. 

Other areas

In Mansehra, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), landsliding from heavy rain resulted in the closure of Shahra-e-Kaghan, the route linking Naran with Mahandri. The area is a popular tourist destination in the summer. 

In Swabi, low-lying areas were flooded after heavy rain. Local administration officials directed residents of the vulnerable areas to move out of their homes. 

In Mianwali, Punjab, an underpass was completely flooded owing to the substandard rainwater drains.

Rescue officials were called in to recover a vehicle stuck in the rainwater. 

In Rawalpindi, the water level in Nullah Lai started increasing once again due to the relentless rain. The Water and Sanitation Agency has issued an alert and requisitioned heavy machinery to clear the drain. 

The agency’s spokesperson said officials were monitoring the canal at various areas. The water-level was recorded at eight feet near the city's Kattarian locality on Wednesday morning. 

While it rained heavily in other parts of the country, light drizzle continued in Karachi on Wednesday, turning the weather pleasant.

Forecast 

Dust-thunderstorm and light showers with gusty winds are expected at isolated places in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Bahawalpur, Dera Ismail Khan, Sahiwal, Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat, FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).

Rivers and canals in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Dera Ghazi Khan and Islamabad, alongside some areas of KP and Kashmir, are predicted to overflow due to the monsoon rains.

Consequently, rain is expected to flood the low-lying areas of Sindh and Punjab, as well as parts of Balochistan.

There is also a risk of landslides in Malakand, Hazara division, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kashmir.

With additional input from Qamar Ali in Karachi and Irshad Qureshi in Islamabad.