Storms and lightning kill three, injure two in Narowal

NAROWAL: Heavy rain, strong winds, thunderstorms and lightning caused a series of incidents across Narowal district, leaving three people dead and two others injured, according to Rescue 1122 officials on Thursday.

A Rescue 1122 spokesperson said emergency teams responded to several distress calls from different parts of the district as severe weather continued to affect the area. Rescue workers provided immediate assistance and shifted the injured to hospitals for treatment.

Lightning strikes and wall collapse

Two of the deaths occurred in separate lightning strike incidents. On Zafarwal Road, 13-year-old Hanzala, son of Salman, died at the scene after being struck by lightning. In another incident in Man Jattan village near Sankhatra Road, 17-year-old Muhammad Shahzeb, son of Muhammad Asif, also lost his life after a lightning strike.

In a separate rain-related incident in Khanowal on Gumtala Road in Shakargarh tehsil, 55-year-old Muhammad Shahid, son of Sharif Ahmad, was inside his farmhouse when a weakened wall collapsed on him amid heavy rain and strong winds. Rescue 1122 teams recovered him from the debris and shifted him to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Shakargarh, where he later died during treatment.

Two injured near Kartarpur

Near Kartarpur, two men were injured when a solar panel structure fell during strong winds. Rescue officials identified them as 32-year-old Waqas and 25-year-old Mujahid. They were given first aid at the scene before being moved to the District Headquarters Hospital. Hospital sources said both were in stable condition and out of danger.

Residents said heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and strong winds disrupted routine life in several areas for hours. Power outages were reported in multiple localities, while trees fell and rooftops were damaged in different places.

Citizens called on the authorities to identify unsafe buildings and weakened walls and to take preventive steps to avoid similar incidents. District Emergency Officer Engineer Aurangzeb advised residents to avoid unnecessary travel during severe weather, thunderstorms and lightning. He also urged people to stay away from open fields, tall trees, electricity poles, solar installations and unsafe structures, and appealed to the public to contact Rescue 1122 immediately in the event of any emergency, accident or natural disaster so that timely rescue operations could be carried out.

The deaths left the affected families and local communities in mourning, while funeral arrangements for the deceased were being made in their native areas.