Lahore records 343 mm of rain in 48 hours as authorities intensify drainage operations across the city
A traffic police officer diverts traffic as heavy monsoon rains lash Lahore for the second day. PHOTO: EXPRESS
LAHORE:
At least 43 people have died and 177 others have been injured in monsoon-related incidents in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the two provinces’ disaster management authorities said on Thursday, as heavy rains continued to lash parts of the country, prompting fresh warnings of flooding and more downpours.
Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said at least 21 people have died and 154 others have been injured in monsoon-related incidents this year. Lahore received 343 mm of rainfall in the last 48 hours, prompting authorities to launch major drainage operations across the provincial capital.
In KP, the PDMA said at least 22 people had been killed and 23 injured in rain-related incidents. The authority warned that intermittent heavy rainfall is likely to continue throughout Thursday.
The KP death toll included nine men, 10 children and three women, while the injured included 11 men, five women and seven children.
Lahore flooded
The latest fatalities in Punjab were reported as Lahore entered a second straight day of relentless monsoon rains, with roads, underpasses and low-lying neighborhoods under water, disrupting traffic across the city and exposing weaknesses in the provincial capital’s drainage system.
A 19-year-old motorcyclist was critically injured after being electrocuted while riding through rainwater in Lahore as heavy rain flooded more than 130 places in Lahore, disrupting traffic and prompting authorities to urge residents to avoid unnecessary travel.
Rescue 1122 said the victim, identified as Rehman, son of Mukhtar, was electrocuted while passing through standing rainwater on a motorcycle in Chungi Amar Sidhu area. He was shifted to Lahore General Hospital in critical condition.
The latest incident came when overnight rains left several roads in DHA Phase 1 to 5 waterlogged, disrupting traffic in the entire area. Ghazi Underpass and Masjid Chowk Underpass were closed due to flooding while traffic was diverted through alternative routes.
About two meters of water accumulated between Defense Mor and A Block checkpost, slowing traffic, while vehicles were also diverted along Lalak Jan Chowk-LUMS, Wateen Chowk-LUMS and Main Boulevard stretches due to stagnant water.
The DHA administration said drainage teams were working at the affected locations, with water pumps activated to clear the flood waters and restore normal traffic conditions.
Meanwhile, Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) said an 11kV power line near Quaid-e-Azam Industrial Area and Kacha Jail Road was damaged by the rain. The affected feeder was shut down as a precautionary measure while repair and power restoration work continued.
A sinkhole appeared on Khayaban-e-Firdousi, prompting traffic police to cordon off the area, place barriers and divert vehicles to alternative routes. The Lahore Traffic Chief directed the appropriate department to carry out immediate repairs.
In a separate incident, a deep sinkhole of about 10 square feet was formed on the service road from Bhikay Wala Mor towards Farooq Hospital after part of the road caved in. The area was cordoned off, WASA teams were dispatched and traffic was diverted while repair work was arranged.
According to the PDMA, roof and building collapse accounted for 15 of the 21 deaths, making structural failure the leading cause of death during the current monsoon period. Two people died in lightning strikes, three were electrocuted and one drowned.
The authority also reported partial damage to 38 houses while one livestock was killed.
Earlier Thursday, two teenage brothers were killed in a road accident due to rain. According to Lahore Traffic Police, the brothers were traveling from Lahore to Kasur when their motorcycle skidded on the rain-soaked road and crashed into a footpath near Gate No. 2 on the road from Central Park towards Kasur.
The victims, identified as 18-year-old Hamza Arif and his 16-year-old brother Hassan Arif, died at the scene. Traffic police and rescue teams reached the scene immediately after receiving reports of the accident.
A traffic police spokesman said preliminary findings indicated the motorcycle went out of control due to the slippery road conditions.
Read also: City floods, fatal electrocution exposes Lahore’s drainage challenges amid Punjab’s monsoon response
Expressing grief over the deaths, Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Lahore Syed Abdul Raheem Shirazi urged motorists, especially motorcyclists, to exercise extreme caution in wet weather.
“Ride motorcycles very carefully and at an appropriate speed during rainfall,” the CTO said, urging riders to wear helmets and avoid overtaking and dangerous overtaking on slippery roads.
According to the traffic police, flooding was reported at more than 130 places in Lahore, including Chuburji Chowk, Jain Mandir, Library Chowk, Shalimar Chowk, Ghazi Road, Children’s Hospital, Barkat Market and Chungi Amar Sidhu.
The traffic police advised motorists to drive at a safe speed, keep a safe distance from other vehicles and avoid sudden braking. Motorcyclists were encouraged to wear helmets, avoid unnecessary overtaking and refrain from driving through flooded roads without first assessing water levels.
The advisory also urged residents to stay away from power poles, transformers, feeders and downed power lines and to avoid taking shelter under trees, weak walls, signs or construction structures during rainfall.
The CTO appealed to residents to avoid unnecessary travel, check traffic conditions before leaving home and follow the instructions of WASA officials and traffic wardens in waterlogged areas. “With a little caution, we can save precious lives,” Shirazi said.
Read more: KP rain death toll rises to 20, more rain forecast: PDMA
PDMA Director General Umar Abbas Meela directed all district administrations to remain on high alert during the second period of monsoon and warned of the risk of urban flooding and flash flooding.
He said the Punjab government was ensuring that the injured received the best possible medical treatment, while families of those killed would receive financial assistance ranging from Rs 1 million to Rs 5 million as per the compensation policy of the provincial government.
Meela also directed deputy commissioners to enforce Section 144 along rivers and streams to prevent people from entering dangerous areas.
He urged residents not to stay in dilapidated or structurally unsafe buildings, noting that the highest number of fatalities resulted from the collapse of old and weakened roofs.
Parents were also advised to keep children away from power poles, overhead lines and low-lying areas, saying precautions could help prevent further loss of life and property.
KP on alert
KP PDMA reported damage to 37 houses, of which 29 were partially damaged and eight completely destroyed after four days of rain.
Casualties and injuries were reported in Peshawar, Nowshera, Khyber, Mardan, Buner, Bajaur, Shangla, Swabi, Lower Chitral, Lower and Upper Dir, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur, Tank, Tor Ghar, Kurram and North and South Waziristan.
The authority said it was coordinating relief efforts with Rescue 1122, district administrations and other relevant agencies while ordering local authorities to speed up relief operations and ensure immediate assistance and relief supplies to affected families.
Despite the heavy rainfall, the PDMA said water levels in the province’s rivers and streams remained within normal limits. However, all district administrations were put on high alert as intermittent heavy rains were expected to continue.
The authority urged the public to avoid unnecessary travel, stay away from vulnerable tourist destinations and follow official weather advice.
More rain forecast
The Pakistan Meteorological Department warned that another spell of widespread heavy rainfall is expected in the next 24 hours across Lahore, other parts of Punjab, Kashmir and the Islamabad-Rawalpindi region.
The department warned that urban flooding, flash flooding in local streams and landslides in Murree and Galiyat are possible and is urging authorities and the public to take precautions.
