Twelve dead as downpour batters Rawalpindi and Islamabad
Pakistan
Kashmir, parts of upper Punjab and adjoining areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa receive heavy downpour
RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD – At least 12 labourers were killed and four others were injured and parts of Rawalpindi submerged with people living along Nullah Lai were ordered to vacate their houses after the city received over 200mm of rain on Wednesday – the heaviest this monsoon season.
Heavy rain also battered parts of Islamabad, pushing the local authorities to launch emergency activities.
But it is not just the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad as the downpour started lashing upper parts of the country late Tuesday night which extended to other on Wednesday morning.
These deaths were a result of wall collapse in the Golra Morr area – located on the Peshawar Road – as the Rescue 1122 officials reached to spot save lives of those still buried under the rubble.
It is reported that the victims had taken shelter under a tent due to the downpour when the hundreds of feet long and 11 feet high wall collapsed. It is feared that the number of casualties could rise as a large number of labourers were present at the spot.
Separately, a girl died in another incident of wall collapse in Muhammadi Town.
Meanwhile, army and other departments were placed on high alert as the water level in Nullah Lai was rising to the alarming level. As a result, the populated localities along the waterway were submerged.
But it is not limited to just those areas directly affected by Nullah Lai as several low-lying neighbourhoods in the city have been inundated with rainwater entering the houses.
On the other hand, heavy downpour is also being reported from Muzaffarabad and other parts of Kashmir since late Tuesday with several areas of the state capital inundated.
In this situation, the residents along the Jhelum and Neelum – the two rivers passing through the city – are on the edge, fearing that the river may reach the flood level.
In a tweet today, the Islamabad Police alerted citizens that “traffic congestion may be observed” at several locations due to heavy rain and waterlogging.
The locations specified were the Main Bharakahu Road, Tramri Chowk, Captain Kernal Shair Khan Avenue, the Faizabad area and the PWD stop on the Islamabad Expressway. The police asserted that its officers were present at the above locations to ease the congestion.
Islamabad Police Traffic Alert !
— Islamabad Police (@ICT_Police) July 19, 2023
Due to heavy rain and water logging, congestion may be observed for traffic at:
1- Main Bharakahu Road
2- Tramri Chowk
3- Capt Kernal Shair Khan Av. (AKA IJP Road)
4- Faizabad
5- PWD stop of Islamabad Expressway
Keep margin time of 15 to 20…
Meanwhile, upper Punjab – including Sialkot, Murree, Attock, Chakwal, Gujrat and Gujranwala – and Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur, Swat, Mardan and surrounding areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are also lashed by heavy downpour which is still continuing by the time this report was being filed.
Punjab's interim Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi directed the Pakistan Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) officials to drain rainwater accumulated in the low lying areas of Rawalpindi.
The persistent rain has caused flash flooding in the streams of mountainous areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir while triggering landslides as well, disconnecting several remote villages with main cities and towns.
At the same time, the latest satellite images [9:20am] show that dark clouds are hovering over upper and north-eastern Punjab, Kashmir and most of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, meaning that the rain would continue in the coming hours.
Earlier, the chief amounts of rain [in mm] recorded during the past 24 [by 8:00am] for different cities and towns was:
Punjab: Rawalpindi (Shamsabad 188, Chaklala 110, Katcheri 79), Islamabad (Bokra 138, Golra 102, Zero Point 98, Airport 64, Saidpur 44), Sialkot (City 98, Airport 37), Mangla 91, Jhelum 85, Gujrat 45 and Murree 34.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Balakot 74
Kashmir: Rawalakot 49, Kotli 30, Muzaffarabad (City 22, Airport 15)
The Met Office has predicted rain and thundershower with in Kashmir, Islamabad, Punjab, north/northeast Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and upper/eastern Sindh during the next 48 hours. Isolated heavy rainfall is also likely in Kashmir, northeast Punjab, Pothohar, Islamabad and upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the forecast period.
