At least eight civilians died and another 45 were injured when heavy rains whipped several parts of Punjab on Saturday, according to the Provincial Authority of Disaster Management (PDMA).
Today early, the PDMA urged citizens and provincial authorities to remain on a maximum alert.
The general director of PDMA (DG) Irfan Ali Kathia ordered the attached commissioners and the rescue agencies throughout the province that remain alert in the midst of wind and rain reports in several Punjab districts, said a PDMA statement.
“The relevant departments are on alert to deal with emergency situations,” reads the statement, adding that the provincial control room and all the emergency operating centers of the district have also been alerted.
The situation was being monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the PDMA control room, said DG Kathia.
He added: “Citizens must be careful and stay away from electrical posts and hanging cables.
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Pdma spokesman Mazhar Hussain said: “The public can call PDMA Lelona 1129 to get help.”
The highway police spokesman Syed Imran Ahmed said that Thokar’s M2 highway to Kot Mumin, the M3 highway from Faizpur to Darkhana and Lahore-Sialkot Motorway was closed due to severe weather.
“The highways are closed to guarantee public safety and safe trips,” he added.
The spokesman also said that the dark clouds were visible on the M4 highway from Abdul Hakeem to the Sher Shah and M5 highway from fine to Rahim Yar Khan.
“There is a severe storm in several places on the National Highway from Lahore to Chichawatni, as well as Mian Channu, Khanewal, fine and Lodhran,” he added.
He urged the public to be careful while driving and avoided accelerating.
WASA DG GHUFRAN AHMED also said: “All personnel and machinery received instructions to remain in full alert. The bombs and staff will remain ready in all underground steps.”
Separately, the roof of a local factory in Sheikhupura collapsed due to a strong wind, killing a Sadiqabad worker and seriously injuring five others, state media. Pakistan television reported.
The report declared that the 1122 rescue teams took out the body and the wounded from the debris and transferred them to the Heikhupura district hospital.
The authority published a preliminary report on the damage caused by the storm throughout the province.
Pdma spokesman, Mazhar Hussain, said: “Eight civilians have died and 45 people were injured due to wind and storm.”
“The deaths occurred due to the collapse of houses in ruins and being in insecure places,” he added.
The data published by the PDMA showed that three people died in Jhelum, one in Rawalpindi, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Sialkot and Mianwali.
Several mud houses and ruins were also damaged due to the storm, said the spokesman, added: “There were trees fall incidents and damage to solar panels in Lahore.”
The Punjab Help Commissioner, Nabeel Javed, announced that medical assistance will be provided to injured people, said the PDMA statement.
DG Kathia said financial assistance will be provided to affected families.
On Friday, the PDMA issued an alert on wind and dust storms in different Punjab areas.
He said that the wind and dust storms would continue today with the possibility of rain in Rawalpindi, Murree, Atock, Chakwal, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Jhelum, Gujranwala, Lahore, Kasur, Sialkot, Narowal, Faisalabad, Okara, Tobe Tek Singh, Jhang, Khushab, Sargodha, Sargodha, and Mianwal.
There would be rain in the areas of southern Punjab, including fine, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar, he added.
