ISLAMABAD: Seven people were killed in various rain-related incidents in Pakistan’s eastern Lahore city on Wednesday as it received “record-breaking” showers, Interim Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi said.
Heavy monsoon rain lashed Lahore on Tuesday night and Wednesday, resulting in power outages and urban floodings in many parts of the city. Seven people were killed due to electrocutions, roof collapses, and drowning.
Pakistan’s Meteorological Department (Met) earlier this week warned that heavy monsoon rains would lash Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, and other cities of the country. The weather department said the country’s low-lying areas were at risk of flooding while its northern areas could experience landslides.
“Urban Flooding and record-breaking rain of 272ml in just 9 hours causing water ponding on roads in Lahore.,” Naqvi wrote on Twitter.
A motorcyclist pushes his bike through a flooded street after heavy rainfall in Lahore on July 5, 2023. (AFP)
In his latest tweet, Naqvi informed that seven people had died as the rain continued.
“Update: 291 ML Rain in Lahore since morning,” he wrote on Twitter. “7 Deaths since morning.”
The chief minister said he was monitoring the situation, adding that all Punjab government cabinet members and administration officials were in the field to clear the water.
Lahore Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa said the incessant monsoon rains had broken a 30-year-old record.
Meanwhile, the Lahore Electricity Supply Company (LESCO) said Tuesday night that several areas of the city were experiencing power outages as the severe storm had caused many feeders to trip. Some of the feeders, LESCO said, were turned off to ensure people remained safe in the urban flooding.
“The process to restore electricity would begin as soon as the severity of the rain declines,” LESCO wrote on Twitter.
The melting of glaciers and heavy monsoon rains last year triggered flash floods across Pakistan, killing over 1,700 people and destroying large swathes of crops. Critical infrastructure in many parts of the country was damaged, with Pakistan estimating losses to be around $30 billion.
