Heavy and continuous downpour on Thursday lashed the provincial capital and parts of Punjab, disrupting routine life by causing urban flooding, inundation, massive traffic jams and frequent power cuts.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority, as many as 26 people have lost their lives owing to the current spell of monsoon across the province, including 14 men, six women and six children. In Lahore, the rain started pouring on Thursday morning and continued till afternoon in scattered areas, including Airport, Mall Road, Ferozepur Road, Jail Road, Lakshmi Chowk, Garden Town, Gulberg, Johar Town, Samanabad and Defence.
Several motorcycles and vehicles broke down on the roads due to the continuous downpour. Many roads and streets were flooded, causing problems for the locals and pedestrians. Rainwater entered many houses located in low-lying areas where people were seen draining out water from their houses.
The low-lying areas where rainwater had accumulated include Tajpura Scheme, Lakshmi Chowk, Misri Shah, Wasanpura, Multan Road, Chauburji, Monzang Chungi, Muslim Town, Samanabad, Gulberg, New Garden Town, Town Ship, Lahore Railway Station, Shahdara, Bhaati Gate, Imamia Colony, Kashmir Road, Chowk Nakhuda, Aziz Road, Eik Moria Pul, Do Moria Pul, Sheranwala Gate, Garhi Shahu, Begumpura, UET, Mughalpura, Shalimar Link Road, Sandha, and GPO Chowk on The Mall while a few areas of Defence, Model Town, Johar Town were also seen under rainwater.
The rainwater also accumulated on the premises of Children’s Hospital, Jinnah Hospital, Mayo Hospital and Services Hospital, causing inconvenience to the patients and their attendants. Officials from the district administration and other supporting agencies including Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), Lahore Waste Management Authority (LWMC) and Lahore Development Authority (LDA) were already present in the field but due to the non-stop rain they faced problems during rescue works.
Meanwhile, the commercial activities of the city remained suspended in the major shopping centres, including Mall Road, Hall Road, Rang Mahal, Ichra Bazar, Shahalam Market, Liberty, Anarkali, Brandreth Road and Lakshmi Chowk.
According to WASA, the city received 115mm of rainfall at Tajpura followed by 108mm at Pani Wala Talab and 106mm at Lakshmi Chowk. The system of Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) also failed in various areas of the city due to the tripping of over 150 feeders. Many parts of the city remained without power for many hours, which also interrupted the supply of water.
Traffic police in the provincial capital failed to keep the traffic flowing in the city. However, in a statement, traffic police claimed to have worked efficiently for the smooth traffic flow. Rain also lashed other cities of Punjab, including Rawalpindi, Shiekhupura, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Narowal, Kamonki, Kasur, Faisalabad and Okara, where several incidents of roof collapse were reported.
The Met Office has predicted rain-wind/thundershower in Islamabad, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, eastern Balochistan and Sindh. Isolated heavy falls are also likely to occur during the next 24 hours. The Met Office also warned that heavy downpours may trigger flash flooding and landslides in different areas of the country.
