At least two people died in Rawalpindi on Thursday in rain-related incidents as torrential downpour lashed parts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a private TV channel reported.
According to police, six residents were sleeping when rain water inundated the basement, making them unconscious. The police further said 30-year-old Sehrish drowned while trying to save her one-year-old son, Shayan, from the flooded basement. Rescue 1122 workers were called to the scene to recover the bodies.
Five other people from various areas of Rawalpindi were also saved as heavy rains since Wednesday interrupted normal life and inundated main thoroughfares in the twin cities. Water levels in various nullahs of Rawalpindi and Islamabad is on the rise due to continuous rain in the twin cities. Water levels have risen by 8.30 feet in Nullah Lai.
After heavy rainfall in Lahore, Rescue 1122 workers came out to help people whose vehicles were stuck due to accumulating rainwater on the streets and roads of the metropolis. Storms also caused many trees around the city to be uprooted, while water reportedly entered houses in various localities. WASA staff used heavy equipment to remove water from streets and houses.
After sporadic rains on Wednesday night, the metrological department has announced that Karachi will receive more showers in the next 24 hours. The most rain recorded in Karachi last night was 3ml, which fell in Gulshan-i-Hadeed. A weather system from Rajasthan is expected to fully impact the city once it reaches here on July 27. Other parts of Sindh will also be affected by the system.
The heaviest rainfall is expected on July 29 and 30.
Peshawar has been receiving intermittent rain with heavy winds since Wednesday night. The Met Office has also predicted heavy rainfalls in various other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially Chitral district. The PDMA has issued a list of precautions for the district management and other related departments. Emergency staff has also been called for in all relevant departments.
PDMA predicts a rise in water levels in various lakes and nullahs of Chitral. Tourists have been warned against visiting far-flung areas of KP.
The Met Office has predicted that heavy to very heavy rainfall will persist in various parts of Punjab and some areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa during the next three days. Areas that will be affected by rain include Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Lahore, Faisalabad, Hazara, Malakand division, Peshawar, Mardan and Azad Kashmir. Other areas that may be affected by rain include Kohat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Zhob, Kalat, Sibbi, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur divisions and certain areas of Gilgit-Baltistan.
