Rescuers pulled the injured from the rubble and transported them to nearby hospitals.
ISLAMABAD/QUETTA/PESHAWAR:
Three children and a woman were killed and more than 30 injured in various incidents triggered by torrential monsoon rains and lightning in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), rescue officials 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 rains in these regions on Thursday.
In Balochistan, intermittent monsoon rains accompanied by strong winds caused widespread 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.
Rescuers pulled the injured from the rubble and transported them to nearby hospitals, while relief operations and the provision of temporary shelter for 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. At the time of the incident, about 250 girls were in the seminary. The injured were taken to Wari Hospital, where they were reported to be out of danger.
In another incident in Bazaar Zakha Khel 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 efforts before taking the injured to hospital.
The country had been experiencing an unprecedented intense heat wave, in line with the increasing frequency of extreme weather events observed in many parts of the world that experts attribute to the impacts of climate change.
However, the current monsoon spell, forecast by the PMD for July 1-6, has brought significant relief to heat-affected areas.
Rain, windstorm and thundershowers, with isolated heavy rain, occurred in Kashmir, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, upper Punjab, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and northeastern Balochistan.
In the federal capital, the rains that began in the afternoon continued intermittently and with intervals until the evening, lowering temperatures and giving a respite from the heat.
The Meteorological Office said rain, windstorm and thundershowers, accompanied by isolated heavy falls, are expected in Kashmir, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan and northeast Balochistan on Thursday, while hot and humid weather is likely to persist in other parts of the country.
It said partly cloudy weather with rain, windstorm and thundershowers, along with isolated heavy rain, is expected in Islamabad and adjoining areas during the day.
According to the PMD, heavy rain on Wednesday night and Thursday could 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 hill torrents in Dera Ghazi Khan may also experience flash floods.
The department further warned that heavy rains could lead to urban and flash flooding in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Nowshera, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwala, Lahore and Faisalabad during the forecast period.
It 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 storms and heavy rain.
Meanwhile, mainly very hot and humid weather is expected to prevail in most districts of Sindh, while Balochistan is likely to remain hot or very hot, with rain and thunderstorms 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 in most parts of the country, while very hot and humid conditions persisted in the plains. However, isolated thunderstorms and thundershowers were recorded in Kashmir, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khuzdar, Zhob, Murree and Sialkot.
The highest rainfall during the period was recorded at 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.
