Rescue teams extracted the injured from the rubble and transferred 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 torrential monsoon rains and lightning in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), emergency services said on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, monsoon rains accompanied by windstorms and thunderstorms on Wednesday brought much-needed relief to the hot and humid weather prevailing in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and several upper and central parts of the country, with the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecasting more rain in these areas on Thursday.
In Balochistan, intermittent monsoon rains, accompanied by strong winds, caused considerable 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 rains.
Rescue teams extracted the injured from the rubble and transferred them to nearby hospitals, while relief operations and the provision of temporary shelter to affected families continued. Roads were blocked and electricity and water supplies were disrupted 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 progress, causing the roof to collapse and injuring more than 20 students. Around 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 another incident at Zakha Khel bazaar 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 operations before evacuating the injured to hospital.
The country experienced an unprecedented period of intense heat, consistent with the increasing frequency of extreme weather events seen in many parts of the world and which experts attribute to the impacts of climate change.
However, the current monsoon, forecast by the PMD from July 1 to 6, has brought significant relief to heat-hit areas.
Rainstorms and thunderstorms, accompanied by isolated heavy falls, occurred in Kashmir, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, upper Punjab, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and northeast Balochistan.
In the federal capital, rains which started in the evening continued intermittently till night, lowering temperatures and providing respite from the heat.
The Met Office said rainstorms and thunderstorms, 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 expected to persist in other parts of the country.
It said partly cloudy weather with rain, windstorm and thunderstorm, along with isolated heavy falls, are expected in Islamabad and adjoining areas during the day.
According to the PMD, heavy rains on Wednesday evening and Thursday may trigger landslides in vulnerable areas of upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Murree, Galliyat and Kashmir, besides causing flash floods in local streams and nullahs. The torrents in the Dera Ghazi Khan hills may also experience flash floods.
The department further warned that heavy downpours may lead to urban and flash flooding in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Nowshera, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwala, Lahore and Faisalabad during the forecast period.
He also warned that windstorms and lightning could damage vulnerable structures, including solar panels, utility poles and billboards, and advised the public to take necessary precautions during thunderstorms and heavy rain.
Meanwhile, mainly very hot and humid weather is expected to prevail in most districts of Sindh, while Balochistan is expected 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.
Over the past 24 hours, hot and dry weather prevailed over most of the country, while very hot and humid conditions persisted over the plains. However, isolated rainstorms and thunderstorms were recorded in Kashmir, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khuzdar, Zhob, Murree and Sialkot.
The highest rainfall during the period was recorded in 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 47°C in Nokkundi and Dalbandin, followed by 46°C in Dadu and 45°C in Sibbi.
