Heavy rainfall kills 15, injures more than 100 across Pakistan

PESHAWAR: Heavy rainfall and strong storm killed 15 and injured more than 100 people including women and children across Pakistan, ARY News reported.

As per details, the heavy rainfall caused damage mostly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

Several cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Swat, Karak, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Shakargarh, Hangu, Tank, Mingora, Murree and Shangla received heavy rainfall. 

While in Punjab the cities where heavy rainfall and storms were recorded include, Kasur, Nankana Sahib, Bhakkar, Pir Mahal and several other areas. 

The strong storms and heavy rainfall resulted in the collapse of walls, roofs, and trees across the country. Emergency has been declared in hospital as the death toll may rise. 

Earlier, at least nine people were killed as heavy rains lashed Hyderabad and other Sindh areas in the past 48 hours, with gusts of winds, hailstorms and lightning piling misery on people.

Read more: Nine killed as rains, hailstorm batter Hyderabad, other Sindh areas

The twin cities of Hyderabad and Kotri received heavy showers and hailstorms the size of golf balls damaging several vehicles and windows in Hyderabad’s SITE area. Gusty winds uprooted trees and damaged vehicles.

In Kotri City, the heavy rainfall killed three children and seven other people injured. Police said the children were playing when the wall came crashing down, leaving them dead on the spot.

It is pertinent to mention here that Federal Minister for Climate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman had stated that “Pakistan is among the 20 countries where above-normal rainfall is predicted. These 20 countries include America, Turkey, Iran and others. The third return of the El Niño ocean trend in the last 2 years is a cause for concern,”.