Rescue teams pulled the injured from the debris and shifted them to nearby hospitals
ISLAMABAD/QUETTA/PESHAWAR:
Three children and a woman died and more than 30 others were injured in various incidents triggered by heavy monsoon rains and lightning in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), rescue officials said on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, monsoon rains accompanied by wind and thundershowers brought much-needed relief from the prevailing hot and humid weather in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and several upper and central parts of the country on Wednesday, with the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) predicting more rain in these regions on Thursday.
In Balochistan, intermittent monsoon rains, accompanied by strong winds, caused extensive damage in the northern and eastern districts. In Zhob, a woman and a child were killed and 10 others injured after mud houses collapsed in two separate incidents in the Nawai Abadi area during heavy rain.
Rescue teams pulled the injured from the debris and shifted them to nearby hospitals, while relief operations and provision of temporary shelter to the affected families continued. Roads were blocked and electricity and water supplies were cut off in several districts as flood-like conditions developed.
In KP, lightning struck a girls’ seminary in Wari area of Lower Dir while classes were in session, causing the roof to collapse and injuring more than 20 students. About 250 girls were present at the seminary at the time of the incident. The injured were taken to Wari Hospital, where they were declared out of danger.
In a separate incident in Bazaar Zakha Khel of Landi Kotal tehsil, Khyber district, lightning struck a house killing two children and injuring three members of the same family. The house was also damaged while local residents launched rescue efforts before being shifted to the hospital.
The country had experienced an unprecedented period of intense heat, in line with the increasing frequency of extreme weather events seen in many parts of the world, which experts attribute to the effects of climate change.
The current monsoon period, which is predicted by PMD on 1-6 July, however, has brought significant relief to heat-affected areas.
Rain-wind and thundershowers, with isolated heavy falls, occurred in Kashmir, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Upper Punjab, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Northeast Balochistan.
In the federal capital, the rains that started in the evening continued at intervals till the night, lowering the temperatures and providing respite from the heat.
The Met Office said rain-windstorms and thundershowers, accompanied by isolated heavy falls, are expected on Thursday in Kashmir, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan and northeast Balochistan, while hot and humid weather is likely to continue over other parts of the country.
It said partly cloudy weather with rain-windstorms and thundershowers, along with isolated heavy falls, is expected in Islamabad and adjoining areas during the day.
According to the PMD, heavy rainfall during Wednesday evening and Thursday may trigger landslides in vulnerable areas of upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Murree, Galliyat and Kashmir, besides causing flooding in local streams and nullahs. Hill streams in Dera Ghazi Khan may also experience flash flooding.
The department further warned that heavy rains could lead to urban and flash flooding in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Nowshera, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwala, Lahore and Faisalabad during the forecast period.
It also warned that windstorms and lightning strikes could damage vulnerable structures, including solar panels, electricity poles and billboards, and advised the public to take necessary precautions during thunderstorms and heavy rainfall.
Meanwhile, mainly very hot and humid weather is expected to prevail in most districts of Sindh, while Balochistan is likely to remain hot to very hot, with rain and thundershowers expected at isolated places including Zhob, Sherani, Kohlu, Naseerabad, Harnai, Sibbi, Musakhel, Barkhan, Dera Bugti and Khuzdar.
During the last 24 hours, hot and dry weather prevailed over most parts of the country, while very hot and humid conditions continued over the plains. However, isolated rain-windstorms and thundershowers were recorded in Kashmir, Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khuzdar, Zhob, Murree and Sialkot.
The highest rainfall during the period was recorded at Kakul (36 mm), followed by Malam Jabba (25 mm), Muzaffarabad Airport (19 mm), Balakot (17 mm), Garhi Dupatta and Kotli (12 mm each), Khuzdar (12 mm) and Zhob (8 mm).
The highest maximum temperature recorded in the country on Wednesday was 47C at Nokkundi and Dalbandin, followed by 46C in Dadu and 45C in Sibbi.
