• CDA imposes emergency to clear roads of debris
• Falling trees damage power lines
• Electricity supply to Sangjani water treatment plant disrupted
• Met Office predicts more rain today

RAWALPINDI: Three persons, including a child, died and 12 people were injured in Rawalpindi and Attock when walls collapsed on them during strong hail and windstorms on Saturday.

District Officer Rescue 1122 Sibghatullah told Dawn that a labourer died after a wall of an under-construction house in Sood Gangal on Kallar Syedan Road collapsed due to the strong winds. The deceased was identified as Imtiaz Yaqoob, 52.

Sibghatullah said scores of people were injured in Taxila, Lahore High Court Road, Adiala Road, Peshawar Road, Chakri Road, Kotha Kalan, Rawat, Gujar Khan and Chakri near motorway.

In another incident, a man died after the wall of his house in Fauji Colony, Pirwadhai, collapsed on him.

Naseebullah, 60, was seriously injured in the incident and was shifted to the hospital by Rescue 1122, but could not survive.

On the other hand, a child died and six others, including a woman and her daughter, were injured when a powerful storm swept through various parts of Attock.

According to Rescue 1122, a grade 2 student identified as Mohammad Hassan Shahbaz was killed when the wall of his house collapsed on him in the village of Mithial, within the limits of Jand police station.

Separately, a woman and her 25-year-old daughter sustained injuries when the roof of their house collapsed in the village of Jabbi Kasran in Fatehjang.

A woman sustained critical injuries when the wall of her house collapsed in the village of Baryar near Attock. Meanwhile, three persons were injured during the windstorm on Kamra Road in Attock.

Meanwhile, the heavy rain accompanied by hailstorm and gusty winds broke the four-day-long heatwave and turned the weather pleasant in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The Met Office has predicted more rains on Sunday (today).

“Gusty winds were recorded at 105km per hour at Islamabad International Airport and at 80km per hour at Zero Point and adjoining areas,” said the Met Office.

The Met Office reported 38 millimetres of rain at Zero Point, 3mm at Saidpur, 13mm at Golra, 6mm at Bokra and 5mm at the airport in Islamabad; 36mm at Shamsabad and 20mm rain at Chaklala in Rawalpindi.

The Met Office said moist currents were penetrating into upper and central parts of the country.

Hot and dry weather is expected in most parts of the country, however, rain-duststorm/thundershower is expected at isolated places in Kashmir, Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Potohar region, northeast Punjab and northeast Balochistan. Isolated heavy falls/hailstorm may occur during this period.

Meanwhile, power supply to Sangjani water treatment plant was disrupted due to the collapse of the main transmission line, affecting water supply to the twin cities from Khanpur Dam.

Wasa Managing Director Saleem Ashraf said: “Power supply to Sangjani water treatment plant has been disrupted due to the collapse of the main transmission line. Citizens are appealed to use water carefully.”

He said water level in Leh Nullah remained at six feet at Kattarian and four feet at Gawalmandi.

Islamabad

As the strong hail and windstorms lashed the federal capital, the CDA imposed an emergency to ensure minimum sufferings by residents.

In the afternoon, various areas of the capital were hit by rain, hailstorm and strong winds.

A number of electricity feeders tripped in different areas of the capital, but later electricity was restored.

Meanwhile, on the instructions of CDA Chairman Mohammad Ali Randhawa, a joint team of CDA/MCI and the district administration was mobilised. All field teams were directed to provide maximum assistance to citizens.

Following the directions, the Emergency and Disaster Management and the Environment wings removed all obstacles, fallen trees and debris from roads to accelerate the cleaning process.

“Comprehensive measures should be taken to keep traffic flowing smoothly on all roads of Islamabad to prevent any inconvenience to the public,” said CDA spokesperson Nawazish Ali Asim while quoting the chairman.

He said the sanitation and environment staffers were also directed to remain in the field to monitor the drainage systems.

“Officers of the Islamabad administration and CDA must remain in the field and ensure a strict monitoring system.”

They also instructed to ensure drainage in underpasses and other areas.

Following the instructions, monitoring was ensured in the low-lying areas of Islamabad, said the spokesperson.

Iesco distribution system

Iesco spokesperson Raja Asim told Dawn that the distribution system was damaged at a number of places as trees fell on wires due to the hailstorm.

“While operation circles including Attock, Rawalpindi Jhelum, Chakwal were affected, at two places 132KV transmission lines were disturbed. Our operation teams immediately responded and restored the electricity.”

Fallen trees and signboards at multiple locations damaged power lines and poles, resulting in faults and feeder tripping.

“Iesco’s operations and construction teams were immediately mobilised and restoration activities are underway on an emergency basis.

Iesco Chief Executive Muhammad Naeem Jan is personally monitoring all restoration operations from the central control room and is ensuring that field staff are fully supported with necessary resources and instructions to restore electricity as quickly as possible,“ said a statement.

“Our control room near Zero Point has been monitoring the situation. We have requested consumers not to go near broken wires and avoid touching the poles,” he said. — Amjad Iqbal in Taxila also contributed to the story

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2025