Lahore records 343mm of rain in 48 hours as authorities intensify drainage operations across the city
A traffic police officer redirects traffic as heavy monsoon rains lash Lahore for the second day. PHOTO: EXPRESS
LAHORE:
At least 43 people have died, and 177 others have been injured in monsoon-related incidents across Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), the two provinces’ disaster management authorities said on Thursday, as heavy rain continued to batter parts of the country, prompting fresh warnings of flooding and more downpours.
Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said at least 21 people have died and 154 others have been injured in monsoon-related incidents this year. Lahore received 343mm of rainfall over the past 48 hours, prompting authorities to launch large-scale drainage operations across the provincial capital.
In K-P, the PDMA said at least 22 people had been killed and 23 injured in rain-related incidents. The authority warned that intermittent heavy rainfall was likely to continue throughout Thursday.
The K-P death toll included nine men, 10 children and three women, while the injured comprised 11 men, five women and seven children.
Lahore inundated
The latest fatalities in Punjab were reported as Lahore entered a second consecutive day of relentless monsoon rain, with roads, underpasses and low-lying neighbourhoods submerged, disrupting traffic across the city and exposing weaknesses in the provincial capital’s drainage system.
A 19-year-old motorcyclist was critically injured after being electrocuted while riding through rainwater in Lahore as heavy rain inundated more than 130 locations across Lahore, disrupting traffic and prompting authorities to urge residents to avoid unnecessary travel.
Rescue 1122 said the victim, identified as Rehman, son of Mukhtar, suffered an electric shock while passing through standing rainwater on a motorcycle in the Chungi Amar Sidhu area. He was shifted to Lahore General Hospital in critical condition.
The latest incident came as overnight rain left several roads in DHA Phases 1 to 5 waterlogged, disrupting traffic across the area. The Ghazi Underpass and Masjid Chowk Underpass were closed due to flooding, while traffic was diverted through alternative routes.
Around two feet of water accumulated between Defence Mor and the A Block checkpost, slowing traffic, while vehicles were also diverted along the Lalak Jan Chowk-LUMS, Wateen Chowk-LUMS and Main Boulevard stretches because of standing water.
The DHA administration said drainage teams were working at affected locations, with water pumps activated to clear floodwater and restore normal traffic conditions.
Meanwhile, the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) said an 11kV power line near Quaid-e-Azam Industrial Area and Kacha Jail Road was damaged by the rain. The affected feeder was shut down as a precaution while repair and power restoration work continued.
A sinkhole appeared on Khayaban-e-Firdousi, prompting traffic police to cordon off the area, place barriers and divert vehicles onto alternative routes. The Lahore chief traffic officer directed the relevant department to carry out immediate repairs.
In a separate incident, a deep sinkhole measuring about 10 square feet formed on the service road from Bhikay Wala Mor towards Farooq Hospital after part of the road caved in. The area was sealed off, WASA teams were dispatched, and traffic was diverted while repair work was arranged.
According to the PDMA, roof and building collapses accounted for 15 of the 21 deaths, making structural failures the leading cause of fatalities during the current monsoon spell. Two people died in lightning strikes, three were electrocuted, and one drowned.
The authority also reported partial damage to 38 houses, while one head of livestock was killed.
Earlier on Thursday, two teenage brothers were killed in a road accident due to rain. According to Lahore Traffic Police, the brothers were travelling from Lahore to Kasur when their motorcycle skidded on the rain-soaked road and crashed into a footpath near Gate No 2 on the road from Central Park towards Kasur.
The victims, identified as 18-year-old Hamza Arif and his 16-year-old brother Hassan Arif, died at the scene. Traffic police and rescue teams reached the site immediately after receiving reports of the accident.
A traffic police spokesperson said preliminary findings suggested the motorcycle went out of control due to the slippery road conditions.
Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Lahore Syed Abdul Raheem Shirazi expressed sorrow over the deaths and urged motorists, particularly motorcyclists, to exercise extreme caution during wet weather.
“Ride motorcycles very carefully and at an appropriate speed during rainfall,” the CTO said, urging riders to wear helmets and avoid overspeeding and dangerous overtaking on slippery roads.
According to traffic police, waterlogging was reported in more than 130 locations across Lahore, including Chuburji Chowk, Jain Mandir, Library Chowk, Shalimar Chowk, Ghazi Road, Children’s Hospital, Barkat Market and Chungi Amar Sidhu.
Traffic police advised motorists to drive at safe speeds, maintain a safe distance from other vehicles and avoid sudden braking. Motorcyclists were urged to wear helmets, avoid unnecessary overtaking and refrain from travelling through flooded roads without first assessing the water level.
The advisory also urged residents to stay away from electricity poles, transformers, feeders and fallen power lines, and to avoid taking shelter beneath trees, weak walls, signboards or construction structures during rainfall.
The CTO appealed to residents to avoid unnecessary travel, check traffic conditions before leaving home and follow the instructions of WASA officials and traffic wardens in waterlogged areas. “With a little precaution, we can save precious lives,” Shirazi said.
Read More: K-P rain death toll rises to 20, more rain forecast: PDMA
PDMA Director General Umar Abbas Meela directed all district administrations to remain on high alert during the second spell of the monsoon, warning of the risk of urban flooding and flash floods.
He said the Punjab government was ensuring that those injured received the best possible medical treatment, while families of those killed would receive financial assistance ranging from Rs1 million to Rs5 million under the provincial government’s compensation policy.
Meela also instructed deputy commissioners to enforce Section 144 along rivers and streams to prevent people from entering hazardous areas.
He urged residents not to stay in dilapidated or structurally unsafe buildings, noting that the highest number of fatalities had resulted from the collapse of old and weakened roofs.
Parents were also advised to keep children away from electricity poles, overhead power lines and low-lying areas, saying precautionary measures could help prevent further loss of life and property.
K-P on alert
The K-P PDMA reported damage to 37 houses, of which 29 were partially damaged and eight completely destroyed after four days of rain.
The casualties and damage were reported in Peshawar, Nowshera, Khyber, Mardan, Buner, Bajaur, Shangla, Swabi, Lower Chitral, Lower and Upper Dir, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur, Tank, Tor Ghar, Kurram, and North and South Waziristan.
The authority said it was coordinating relief efforts with Rescue 1122, district administrations and other relevant agencies, while directing local authorities to expedite relief operations and ensure immediate assistance and relief supplies for affected families.
Despite the heavy rainfall, the PDMA said water levels in the province’s rivers and streams remained within normal limits. However, all district administrations had been placed on alert as intermittent heavy rain was expected to continue.
The authority urged the public to avoid unnecessary travel, stay away from vulnerable tourist destinations and follow official weather advisories.
More rain forecast
The Pakistan Meteorological Department warned that another spell of widespread heavy rainfall is expected over the next 24 hours across Lahore, other parts of Punjab, Kashmir and the Islamabad-Rawalpindi region.
The department cautioned that urban flooding, flash floods in local streams and landslides in Murree and Galiyat are possible, urging authorities and the public to take precautionary measures.
