At least seven people were killed and 39 others were injured in multiple rain-related incidents as Punjab was battered by heavy monsoon showers on Thursday, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and Rescue 1122.
Earlier in the day, the PDMA said that four people died and 19 were injured in rain-related incidents.
According to the data, 13 incidents were reported across Punjab, with the majority of them in the Okara district. Two children are among the four deceased.
The majority of incidents were roof collapses caused by rain.
“Two citizens were killed by the collapse of dilapidated and decaying buildings in Okara and Bahawalnagar,” a PDMA handout read. “Two citizens drowned in Jhelum … 13 dilapidated and mud houses were affected by monsoon rains.” According to the data, one child was killed in Okara, one in Bahawalnagar and two men in Jhelum.
Punjab rescue spokesperson Farooq Ahmed said that the deceased child in Okara was a five-year-old girl.
“[The girl] drowned in a storm drain in Basti Riazabad in Okara,” Ahmed was quoted as saying in a statement. “Another person drowned in a storm drain in Jhelum, while two people were injured in Sohawa. A search operation is underway.” The spokesperson added that a person in Okara was injured in a lightning strike.
“The public should avoid electric poles, hoarding boards and low-lying areas,” the spokesperson warned, urging them to call 1122 in case of emergencies.
A statement by the Rescue 1122 also confirmed the deaths of one each in Okara, Bahawalnagar, and two in Jhelum.
It further said that two people died when a wall collapsed in Muzaffargarh, while one person died and another was injured after lightning struck in Khanewal.
Rescue 1122 said that emergency rescue services were provided to a total of 46 people in the last 24 hours, including 39 of those who were injured and taken to the hospital.
The statement said, “In Multan, three people were injured when a wall collapsed in Basti Rata,” adding that three others were injured when a roof collapsed in Latifabad.
Another roof collapse incident in Faisalabad injured one person, while two people were injured in more roof collapse incidents each in Shorkot and Sahiwal, according to Rescue 1122.
In Mandi Bahauddin, two children were injured by electrocution, the statement added. PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia issued instructions to provide the best available medical assistance to the injured.
On Wednesday, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) alert for the country’s northern areas, citing “persistent high temperatures” and intense monsoon currents as the main reasons.
In a press release, the NDMA said sustained heat for the past several weeks has accelerated snow and glacier melt in Pakistan’s northern regions.
“The added influence of monsoon rains and thunderstorms have now significantly increased hydrometeorological pressure on glacial lakes, raising the risk of sudden GLOF events,” the NDMA said.