Storms reveal the susceptibility of rural residences.
LAHORE: At least 10 individuals sustained injuries due to violent thunderstorms that resulted in structural collapses throughout Punjab on Tuesday.
Rescue 1122 personnel indicated that the provincial emergency agency documented extensive destruction to residences and boundary walls due to severe winds and heavy rainfall affecting multiple regions.
In Chichawatni, two ladies sustained injuries when the roof of their residence in Gulstan Colony collapsed during the storm. The victims, identified as 70-year-old Kulsoom Bibi and 35-year-old Shakeela, were expedited to a local hospital. Two boys, 10-year-old Umar Farooq and 12-year-old Abu Sufyan, sustained injuries when a mud wall collapsed due to the wind’s ferocity as they were playing outside their home.
The circumstances were similarly perilous in Pakpattan district, where five family members sustained injuries due to the collapse of their home’s roof near Lakhnawali Bahmani Bridge. The victims comprised three children—Zain, aged three; Rehan, five; and Rizwan, seven—alongside 20-year-old Sadia and 70-year-old Sharifan. A separate incident on the Nanakpur-Dipalpur road involved 13-year-old Areeba being injured by rubble from a neighbor’s falling boundary wall.
The Rescue 1122 crews conveyed the injured to medical institutions. A spokeswoman, Farooq Ahmed, stated, “Our emergency teams were dispatched within minutes of receiving distress calls.” All victims obtained prompt medical care.
The accidents ignited heightened apprehensions regarding house safety regulations in rural regions, especially with antiquated mud-brick edifices susceptible to severe weather conditions.
As additional storms are anticipated in the forthcoming days, authorities have advised citizens to remain vigilant around possibly unstable structures and to promptly report any emergencies via the Rescue 1122 helpline.
Simultaneously, Punjab Emergency Services Secretary Dr. Rizwan Naseer instructed all district emergency officers to guarantee prompt emergency ambulance, rescue, and fire services to the populace throughout the Eid vacations. He stated in a meeting that close coordination must be sustained with the district and tehsil headquarters hospitals to address any adverse incidents.
The provincial monitoring officer notified the secretary that specialized rescue teams would be dispatched on Eid.
These rescuers, along by 892 ambulances, 2,300 motorbikes, 80 rescue vehicles, and 303 fire apparatus, would be stationed at critical locations and rescue centers. Additional rescue posts shall also be established to provide optimum emergency cover. The Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) and Patient Transfer Services (PTS) Cell at the headquarters will operate round-the-clock to ensure the timely transfer of patients from tertiary to specialised healthcare facilities by road and air ambulances, especially for remote areas.
On this occasion, locals were reminded to observe safety precautions while visiting aquatic recreational places during the holidays. He advised people not to enter water or a boat without wearing life jackets.
Global climate alteration
Addressing a seminar organised at Punjab University of mark the World Environment Day, Punjab Parliamentary Secretary for Environmental Protection Kanwal Pervaiz said climate change had emerged as the greatest challenge of the 21st century, with Pakistan among the most severely affected countries.
She said human activity had been the primary driver of environmental degradation, noting that emissions from nearly 80 of vehicles are a major contributor to urban pollution. “Lahore was once known as the city of gardens; sadly, it is now referred to as the city of pollution,” she lamented.
With additional input from APP
