At least four people, including a young girl, lost their lives, and seven others were injured in various incidents involving electrocution and roof collapse due to heavy monsoon rains in Lahore on Thursday. These rains broke a 44-year-old record, plunging the city into chaos.
Lahore, the second-largest city in Pakistan, experienced nearly 360 millimeters of rain, flooding hospitals, disrupting power, and submerging streets in a city with a population of 13 million, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). The previous record of 332 millimeters in three hours, set in July 1980, was surpassed today.
The torrential downpour caused multiple casualties and property damage, crippling the infrastructure across the provincial capital. Rescue officials reported that a young man was electrocuted near an electricity pole in Nishat Colony, a 14-year-old boy drowned in rainwater in Kot Lakhpat, and another man was electrocuted by an exposed wire in Defence Phase VII.
In Nishtar Colony, a roof collapse killed a girl and injured five others. Another roof collapse near Shaukat Khanum Chowk resulted in two injuries. Additionally, seven goats were killed when a wall collapsed in the suburban town of Kahna following the heavy showers.
“This was record-breaking rainfall,” said Farooq Dar, deputy director of the national weather agency, in an interview with AFP. Sardar Sarfaraz, chief meteorologist at the PMD, described the rains as “torrential” and noted the heavy rains across Lahore. “There were more rains in Sindh compared to Punjab, but this was expected,” he added.
Sarfaraz mentioned that the intensity of the rains would likely decrease, but intermittent showers would continue until the evening. From August 1-6, several parts of the country are expected to experience rain.
The PMD had forecasted a wetter-than-usual monsoon season this year in Pakistan, a country highly vulnerable to extreme weather caused by climate change. In the past three days, 24 people have died due to rainfall in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority reported.
As the torrential rains wreaked havoc in Lahore, the city’s commissioner declared an emergency, announcing the closure of offices and schools for the day. Two government hospitals near the Indian border reported flooding in their wards, and power outages persisted into the afternoon. Roads were submerged, halting traffic and business activities.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Sharif stated on social media site X that “the entire government machinery is in the field” to drain the water. The summer monsoon, which brings 70 to 80% of South Asia’s annual rainfall between June and September, is essential for agriculture but poses risks due to changing weather patterns attributed to climate change.
Earlier this year, Pakistan, home to 240 million people, experienced a series of heatwaves, with April being the wettest since 1961. At least 143 people died from lightning strikes and other storm-related incidents in April.
In neighboring India, torrential rains have caused landslides in the southern coastal state of Kerala, killing at least 160 people, mostly laborers and their families. In 2022, unprecedented monsoon rains submerged a third of Pakistan, displacing millions and causing $30 billion in damages, according to a World Bank estimate.
