Severe Storm and Strong Winds Also Cause Widespread Damage in Peshawar
A powerful storm accompanied by heavy rain and strong winds has resulted in at least two fatalities and injured 15 people across Punjab, Express News reported Tuesday.
Rescue Punjab spokesperson Farooq Ahmad confirmed that one person died and 11 others were injured due to the storm. Among the injured were two children in Rawalpindi who were hurt when debris fell from a roof, and another individual injured after falling from a ladder.
In a separate tragic event in Kala Bagh, Mianwali, a man was killed by a lightning strike. Rescue teams responded promptly to provide assistance. Additionally, the wall of a police station collapsed due to strong winds, injuring one person, and a falling solar panel caused injuries to another individual.
In Attock, a 22-year-old woman was hurt when a mud house collapsed. Ahmad also reported incidents in Gujranwala where a young girl fell from a roof after strong winds dislodged objects.
Similar accidents occurred in Multan, where falling solar panels and wall collapses injured multiple people. In Muzaffargarh, a tree branch felled by strong winds injured a passerby. Dera Ghazi Khan saw a woman injured by a wall collapse, while Murree experienced uprooted trees.
Rescue teams have transported all injured to nearby hospitals for treatment. Ahmad urged the public to contact Rescue 1122 in emergencies, highlighting ongoing relief efforts.
Storm and Heavy Rain Cause Extensive Damage in Peshawar
Meanwhile, torrential rain and strong winds wreaked havoc across Peshawar, causing extensive damage.
Trees were uprooted, signboards fell, and roofs collapsed, trapping three people under debris. Rescue teams quickly freed all trapped victims with no fatalities reported.
In Hayatabad, roofs and solar panels were torn off homes, and the fibre sheet roof of the Hayatabad Sports Complex was destroyed. Falling signboards also damaged two taxis parked on the road.
Strong winds also caused significant damage in Peshawar’s Industrial Estate area, uprooting power poles and disrupting main transmission lines, leading to widespread power outages in Hayatabad and nearby neighborhoods.
Flooding occurred as drains near Hayatabad on Ring Road overflowed, causing hazardous conditions. Roads near Lady Griffith School in the Dabgari area were submerged, resulting in severe traffic jams. Water also accumulated near the hostel gate of Lady Reading Hospital, further worsening congestion.
In Matni, the roof of a dhaba hotel collapsed, trapping three people who were rescued by emergency teams. Trees were also uprooted along Charsadda Road, Salt Mandi, and Kohat Road, though no casualties were reported.
Weather Advisory and Previous Storm Impacts
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) had issued a forecast warning of windstorms and rain-thunderstorms across northern and central Pakistan from May 27 to 31, with occasional breaks. A westerly wave expected to reach northern areas on May 28 would bring isolated heavy showers and hail to regions including Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Swat, and several districts in Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.
The advisory cautioned that windstorms, dust-thunderstorms, hail, and lightning could damage vulnerable structures such as power poles, trees, vehicles, and solar panels.
Last week, severe thunderstorms in Punjab caused at least 13 deaths and injured 92 others. The storm led to multiple weather-related incidents in districts including Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, and Sialkot, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).
Most fatalities resulted from the collapse of weak buildings or individuals being in unsafe locations during the storms. Numerous mud-brick and poorly built homes suffered extensive damage.
