Three die and several injured in Haripur as thunderstorm accompanied by torrential rain swept across Haripur, Murree, Abbottabad, Azad Kashmir and various parts of Punjab including Lahore, reported 24NewsHDTV Channel.
The rain was also reported in Jhelum, Chakwal, Gujranwala, Pattoki and Lahore. The dark clouds blanketed the sky, plunging the cities into near darkness in the middle of the day, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of night-time.
A family boat that had come from Peshawar for a trip to Khanpur Dam capsized in Khanpur Dam due to a sudden storm. As a result, six members of the same family drowned. However, local divers rescued five people while one youth was still missing. In the second incident which took place in the Sarahidna area of Khanpur. Three children were buried under the wall after it collapsed. In which a student of class 8 died and 2 were injured. The third incident took place near Khanpur Dam when two motorcyclists collided due to strong winds and storms, in which a young man from Islamabad lost his life.
The heavy rainfall accompanied by hailstorm and windstorm has affected power poles causing power outages in various areas. In Haripur, trees were uprooted at various places due to strong winds. The roofs of houses, electricity poles and trees were uprooted by the severe storm.
The Khanpur-Taxla road was closed in several places due to falling of trees after the storm. One man die and several other got injured in rain and storm related incidents.
In Rawalpindi and Islamabad, dust storms severely reduced visibility, disrupted daily life, and caused traffic congestion on major roads. Several business centers, hotels, and restaurants were forced to shut down temporarily due to the storm. The met office predicted that heavy rainfall accompanied by hailstorm and windstorm was expected in Chakwal, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Sahiwal, Kasur, Okara, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Khushab and Sargodha.
In Islamabad and surrounding areas, partly cloudy conditions are expected to persist, with chances of heavy rain and hailstorms at scattered locations. Similar weather is forecast for parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Chitral, Dir, Swat, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur, Shangla, Buner, Malakand, Waziristan, Kohat, and Hangu.
Hail and thunderstorms are also anticipated in districts such as Lucky Marwat, Bajaur, Mohmand, Karak, Khyber, Peshawar, and Swabi. Rain and hailstorms are forecast for Mardan, Kurram, Dera Ismail Khan, and Bannu as well.
The rain was also reported in Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, and Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, and Sialkot. Lahore, Narowal, Sahiwal, Kasur, Okara, Faisalabad, and other cities including Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Khushab, Sargodha, Mianwali, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalnagar, and Bahawalpur.
PDMA Punjab has issued warning urban flooding alert. DG PDMA Irfan Ali Kathia has directed deputy commissioners across the province to remain alert to deal with the emergency situation. DGP PDMA said the district emergency operation centers of all districts, including the provincial control room, have also been put on alert.