Lightining strike were also reported at three points in Multan however no casualty was occurred. but some dwellings and trees were affected.Amid the heavy rainfall, lightning claimed 16 lives in South Punjab and 8 in different areas of Balochistan.
Two youths Farid Ahmed and Jabir Ahmed, while sitting in a garden of Tanak area in Surab district, died as soon as lightning struck them, while one other person got wounded in the incident. In two separate incidents, lightning killed one person in Pishin and another in Dera Bugti.
In Rahim Yar Khan, lightning killed six people. A husband and wife, Hafeez, 45, and Kulsoon, 40, died while harvesting wheat in Basti Khokhran. Two young siblings, aged nine and seven, also lost their lives in Basti Kalhora.
Additionally, a man died in Thal Hassan, and labourer Muhammad Hassan Mohana died while working in Chak 131-NP of Janpur.
Bahawalpur also faced lightning strikes, resulting in a woman’s death in Ahmedpur East and injuries to two others.
In Yazman, a child died when lightning struck Chak No 113-DNB. Another child, Abdul Majeed, died in Chak 108-DNB area of Cholistan.
In Jatoi tehsil of Muzaffargarh district, a man, a baby girl, and a cow were killed, while two people were injured.
Electric discharge from cloud killed at least seven people in Rahim Yar Khan including two children in Basti Kalwar, one person in Thul Hassan, a wife and husband in Basti Khokhran Feroza, a shepherd in Mari Allah Bachaya and a farmer in Khan Bela.
Whereas, an eight-year-old kid died in Chak-113 area and one person died in Khairpur Daha of Bahawalpur district by lightning. A woman died in a similar incident in Lodhran
After westerly waves entered here, thunderstorms, rains and dusty winds affected some parts of Punjab and most parts of Balochistan including Quetta, where electricity breakdown on several feeders suspended the power supply to the metropolis since Friday afternoon
Electricity breakdown on scores of feeders plunged the cities into darkness with no power in most of the areas in Quetta since last afternoon
Meanwhile, the weather became cold because of hailstorm in Washuk, Khuzdar, Surab, Kalat, Mastung, Nushki, Bolan and Pashin. Whereas Nushki, Kolpur and Mastung experienced rain with thunder and lightning.
Rainwater drains are feared to get flooded soon as Zhob, Sherani, Barkhan, Mosakhel, Kohlu, Sibbi, Jhal Magsi, Loralai, Ziarat, Quetta, Chaman, Pishin, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Lasbela, Qalat, Khuzdar, Ziarat, Muslim Bagh, Turbat, Harnai, Naseerabad, Jafferabad, Chaghi, Panjgur, Gwadar and Ketch experienced intermitted heavy rains and the districts are expected to receive more in next 48 hours.
On the other hand, the spokesperson of the Balochistan government said instructions have been issued to all commissioners and deputy commissioners viewing the unusual rains and weather conditions in the province.
The district disaster management authorities have been alerted while Chief Minister Sardar Sarfaraz Bugti has ordered action to remove encroachments from all natural drainage channels, he said.
Thirteen people were killed in Punjab while the death toll in Balochistan rose to five with two more deaths. One man and two children were killed in lightning strikes a day ago as rainfall lashed parts of Balochistan.
A statement from the Punjab PDMA spokesperson said Director General Irfan Ali Kathia contacted the deputy commissioners of the affected districts and gave guidelines to give the best medical care to the injured while financial assistance would be provided to the families of the deceased.
“Combating natural calamities is only possible with joint and mutual cooperation,” DG Kathia was quoted as saying in the statement, adding that all organisations and departments were on alert and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had given clear instructions that negligence or irresponsibility would not be tolerated.
Meanwhile, Balochistan Provincial Emergency Operations Centre In-charge Younus Mengal told Dawn.com that two more deaths due to lightning were reported in Dera Bugti today while another person was injured in the Surab area of Kalat district.
A PDMA update said 10 to 15 houses were partially damaged due to flooding from torrential rails in the Hamidabad area of Pishin, adding that the affected people were evacuated and moved to safer places.
Two rescue teams along with machinery were engaged in rescue activities to tackle the flood situation in Pishin, it said.
The PDMA said a death from a roof collapse was also reported in Loralai with a total of six deaths reported in the province till now.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti visited the PDMA Control Room earlier today and said he was monitoring the relief and rescue operations amid the rains himself.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi expressed regret over the deaths and extended his condolences to the affected families.
An update from the KP PDMA said one person was killed and two were injured in Lower Chitral due to houses collapsing from heavy rain with one house being completely destroyed while four were partially damaged.
It said roads were blocked at multiple locations and restoration operations were under way.
Separately, Sindh CM Syed Murad Ali Shah instructed the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), towns and water boards to complete the arrangements in their respective areas in light of the recent forecast of heavy rains, Sindh CM spokesperson Rasheed Channa said in a statement.
CM Shah has instructed all civic agencies to keep rain drains and drainage systems clean, Channa said.
“District administration and the Police should look after the people and help them in any difficulty,” he said, adding that the CM directed the PDMA to coordinate with all civic agencies.
“People, especially the children, should not go out of their houses because of torrential rains,” the CM said according to Channa.