Four dead, 22 injured as heavy pre-monsoon spell lashes Punjab

Rain in Lahore and Punjab has been particularly heavy since morning on Wednesday. Storm clouds gathered above Lahore during the wee hours of the day and since then massive rainfall has been reported across the city and the adjoining areas.

Flights have either been cancelled or delayed at the Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore as more rains are expected to come in the next few hours.

At least four people have been injured in Thokar Niaz Beg area of Lahore after the roof of their house collapsed. Wall of an under constructed building fell in the area of Ferozepur Road injuring two persons while another accident injured one more in Mandi Bahauddin.

In Jhang, at least two people died and four suffered injuries from electrocution, while in Bhakkar, a woman and a child lost their lives while 12 have been injured in separate rain-linked accidents.

Heavy to very heavy rain was reported in Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, and Sheikhupura in Punjab after which lowland areas completely submerged under rain water.

Several feeders also tripped across the province, leaving people without electricity for several hours.

According to the Director Meteorological Department Dr Muhammad Hanif, parts of the country have entered into a pre-monsoon season which would end after two days. However, he also informed that a new monsoon spell would begin from next week.

Fearing that a relatively heavy monsoon would hit the country this year, Dr Hanif said, “at least 80-millimetre rain in Lahore is an indication of the strong monsoon this year”.

He said heavy rains could possibly cause floods in some areas. Monsoon in Karachi and other parts of Sindh would begin in the first week of July, Dr Hanif added.