İslamabad ve Rawalpindi'de Üç Yılın En Şiddetli Yağmuru: 3 Ölü

Heavy rain throws Islamabad, Rawalpindi into chaos

• Three killed as heaviest rain in three years lashes Rawalpindi, Islamabad • Overflowing water from nullahs in E-11, Ghauri Town floods roads, houses • Leh Nullah rises to 29.5 feet at Kattarian and 20 feet at Gawalmandi • Rescue 1122 evacuates 60 people in Rawalpindi • Met Office forecasts more rains ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: Three people lost their lives and another was critically injured in rain-related incidents in the twin cities on Tuesday as the Meteorological Department described the rainfall as the heaviest in three years. In the first incident, a man was killed and another injured at G-14 when the roof of their house caved in. The deceased was identified as Faizan Ashraf, 20, and the injured as Raz Mohammad, 65. They were residing in a makeshift house near the golden market. Due to the heavy rain, the roof of the house caved in and as a result both were trapped under the debris. Police and rescue workers reached the spot and shifted them to a hospital where one of them was pronounced dead. Medical assistance was given to the other injured but his condition was stated to be critical. In another incident, a teenager drowned in rainwater in a nullah near Esa Nagri at I-9/1. The victim was identified as Yahswa Azhar, 17. After getting the information, the police and rescue teams launched an operation to recover the body. Meanwhile, an outer wall of a government boys’ school at G-6 and a wall of another school at Lakhwal collapsed during the rains. However, no injury was reported in the incidents. A nullah in E-11 also overflowed after receiving about 150mm of rain, inundating nearby roads and basements of buildings. A protective wall of D-12 also collapsed, however, no injury was reported. Heavy rain was also recorded in Ghauri Town Phase II. The water level in Rawal Dam rose to 1,751.90 feet. As a result, the spillways of the dam were opened. Rescue teams and police were also alerted to avoid any emergency situation. The Islamabad’s deputy commissioner said the low-lying areas were being continuously monitored. He said due to the record rainfall in E-11, water accumulated in the nullah beyond its capacity. Besides, a nullah in Ghauri Town was choked/blocked due to slabs dumped on it. The DC alleged that the society administration’s negligence had affected the flow of water, resulting in the inundation of houses and streets. He said the CDA would take strict action against those blocking the nullah. Traffic was also affected at several places due to water accumulation on major roads. Children sit on the roof of a vehicle stranded in floodwater in Rahimabad. — Photos by Mohammad Asim Rawalpindi An employee of the education department lost his life after he suffered electric shock during heavy rain in Arya Mohallah on Tuesday. The police said that Sohail Asghar, 50, had shifted his family and households on the third floor of his house as the rain water entered the ground floor due to heavy rain. A police investigating officer said that after shifting his family on the third floor, Asghar came downstairs to take his pet dog. As he entered the room on the ground floor and tried to switch on the UPS, he suffered an electric shock and died. Meanwhile, Leh Nullah rose to 29.5 feet at Kattarian Bridge and 20 feet at Gowalmandi Bridge. The heavy rain forced the local administration to switch on the sirens of flood warning in the city so that people around Leh Nullah could move to safer places. Pakistan Army, the district administration, Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), Rescue 1122, Civil Defence and health departments were put on alert. “The army was not called but put on alert to deal with any emergency,” Deputy Commissioner retired Capt Nadeem Nasir told Dawn. He said that due to the heavy rain in the morning, he had to announce a public holiday. However, he added that the rain stopped after three hours, water discharged and Leh Nullah water level reduced to 10 feet at Kattarian and seven feet at Gowalmandi in the afternoon. He said that Rawal Dam was filled early morning but its spillways were opened in the afternoon. The Meteorological Department recorded 201mm of rain at Shamsabad, 191mm at Chaklala, 187 mm at New Kattarian, 87 mm at Pirwadhai, 78 mm at Kutchery in Rawalpindi and at Golra 157 mm, Zero Point 152 mm, Saidpur Village 105 mm, Bokra 72 mm and Airport 18 mm in Islamabad. It forecast more rain till Wednesday evening. A Met official said Tuesday’s rain was the heaviest in the current monsoon season. He said it was also the highest in the last three years. He said the moist currents are approaching upper parts of the country with a westerly trough present over northern parts. He said that rain-wind/thundershower (with isolated heavy falls) is likely in Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Potohar region, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir and adjoining hilly areas. Hot and humid weather is expected in other plain areas of the country. The Met Office predicted more rain and warned that moderate to heavy rainfall may cause landslides in Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Battagram, Buner, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur, Murree, Galliyat Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir. Heavy rains may cause urban flooding in low lying areas of Mardan, Swabi, Peshawar, Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Gujrat during the forecast period. The heavy rain flooded the localities, including Shah Khalid Colony and Faisal Colony, along the Old Airport Road. According to sources, the authorities allegedly discharged the water in the adjoining drains to save the Old Airport Road, which is also used during VVIPs’ movements. Dhoke Juma, Fazalabad, Arya Mohallah, Nadeem Colony, Javed Colony, Muslim Colony, Dhoke Ratta, Ganjmandi, Jamia Masjid Road, Bani Chowk, Sadiqabad, Satellite Town, Commercial Market, College Road, Bohar Bazaar, Naya Mohallah, Iqbal Road, Raja Bazaar, Kohati Bazaar, Mochi Bazaar, Mohanpura, Nanakpura, Arjan Nagar, Amarpura, Service Road along Murree Road, Khayaban-i-Sir Syed and Rawal Road were covered with two to three feet of water. The Raja Bazaar model bazaar was also inundated while Rawalpindi Tehsil office on Jinnah Road commonly known as City Saddar Road was also flooded with rainwater. The officer ward at Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and the basement of Holy Family Hospital (HFH) were also inundated. “The water entered five rooms of the officer ward and patients were shifted to other wards. The telephone exchange was also inundated with rainwater,” an official told Dawn. “The gynae and paeds department is situated in the basement and its machinery was shifted to the upper storey,” said an official of HFH. Due to continuous and heavy rain, 2 to 5 feet of water entered houses, warehouses and shops in several residential and commercial areas of Rawalpindi city and cantonment, causing a loss of millions of rupees to citizens and traders. Besides the traditionally low-lying areas, several localities that generally remain safe from urban flooding also received an unprecedented volume of water this time. The residents of Street 10/3 in Faisal Colony were particularly badly affected, as the heavy flow entered several houses, damaging furniture and other household belongings. Abdullah Siddiqui, a resident of the street near Butt Market, said the area had experienced heavier rains in the past but residents had never witnessed such flooding. “Whenever it rained in the past, the street would get flooded, but the water would start receding within minutes after the rain stopped,” he said. “This time, however, the water continued to flow through the street like a huge canal at the same speed for more than six hours after the rain had stopped. It was an unusual and alarming situation for the residents”, he added. The residents have urged the authorities to investigate the cause of the unprecedented flooding in the locality and determine why the water failed to drain even several hours after the rain had stopped. Several vehicles were damaged on the Ganjmandi and Kashmiri Bazaar Leh Nullah bridges. There was a prolonged power breakdown in most areas of Rawalpindi, while internet service also remained suspended for some time. Traffic was also suspended due to accumulation of water on all major roads, including Murree Road and Islamabad Expressway. Rescue 1122 evacuated 60 people in several areas, including 30 passengers from Rahimabad bridge, eight people from Kuri Road, eight people from Dhoke Kala Khan and six women from Darulaman. Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2026