ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR: At least twelve people were killed and scores of others injured on Wednesday as heavy rains and deadly thunderstorm struck most parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Islamabad and Punjab.
According to the Rescue 1122 Spokespman Bilal Ahmed Faizi, a woman, Sidra, along with her six-month-old son, Ahmad, were killed in Mosazai area near Eidgah on Kohat Road as roof of their house collapsed. Two other women identified as Nosheen and Ambreen sustained injuries.
According to the Met Office, the provincial capital received 14millimetre rain bringing down the mercury that had hit 40 early in the day. The wind blew with 60km per hour speed in the city while its direction remained south-east.
Meanwhile, one person was killed and several others wounded in house collapse incidents during the torrential rains. A man identified as Ihsan Ali was killed when a tree fell on him in Misri Banda. One child was reportedly killed in Charsadda.
As many as 18 people were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital and other healthcare facilities in Nowshera district. The thunderstorm and torrential rain uprooted the signboards, trees and electricity poles closing the traffic on main GT Road.
Although, the rain and thunderstorm turned the hot and humid weather pleasant in parts of the province particularly the provincial capital, it also wreaked havoc with standing crops and orchards.
In Islamabad, fire broke out at a vegetable market when power cables fell due to thunderstorm. Fire brigade reached the scene and launched efforts to extinguish the blaze.
According to aviation sources, flight operation was suspended at Benazir International Airport due to the storm. In addition, metro bus service was also halted in the federal capital after strong winds broke windows of metro stations.
In a press statement, Met Office said that a western disturbance was affecting upper parts of the country and is likely to persist till Friday.
“Scattered rain-thunderstorm with gusty winds is expected in FATA, KP (Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Kohat, Mardan, Bannu division), Islamabad, Upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Lahore, Faisalabad divisions), Gilgit Baltistan and Kashmir and at few places in DG Khan, DI Khan, Quetta, Zhob and Multan divisions,” it added.
