Heavy rains leave three dead and 17 injured across Punjab

LAHORE: Heavy rain and storm-related incidents across Punjab over the past 24 hours left three people dead and 17 others injured, according to rescue officials on Wednesday.

A Rescue 1122 spokesperson said two separate roof-collapse incidents in Bhakkar resulted in one death and four injuries.

In Khanewal, two people were injured after the roof of a house collapsed due to rainfall. In Muzaffargarh, two people were hurt in separate incidents, with one injured in a roof collapse and the other after slipping during the rain.

In Sargodha, a house wall collapsed, injuring one person and killing a livestock animal, a rescue official said.

In Taunsa district, five people were injured when the shed of a hotel collapsed. In two other incidents in the same area, roof collapses caused one death and left two others injured.

The Rescue 1122 spokesperson added that another person died in Toba Tek Singh after receiving an electric shock from a pole, while in Chiniot one person was injured in a slip-and-fall incident.

Rescue officials said those who were seriously injured were given immediate medical assistance and shifted to nearby hospitals.

Weather warning

Earlier, the Pakistan Meteorological Department had forecast widespread rain and thunderstorms in northeast Balochistan, lower Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and south Punjab on April 6 and 7.

The Met Office had also warned of possible flash floods in local nullahs and streams in northeast Balochistan and lower KP, as well as hill torrents in Dera Ghazi Khan because of heavy rainfall.

Bus overturns on M-3 motorway

In a separate incident, a passenger bus overturned on the M-3 motorway near Nankana, leaving three people dead and 26 others injured, officials said.

A Rescue 1122 spokesperson said 24 of the injured were out of danger, while two passengers were in critical condition.

The rescue operation was supervised by DIG Motorway Police Imran Shahid, with the participation of the sector commander, DSP and other officials.

Officials said all passengers were rescued and moved to nearby hospitals. Heavy machinery and cranes were used to remove the overturned bus, while the National Highways and Motorway Police maintained the flow of traffic during the operation, the spokesperson added.