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| 49 killed, 176 injured in heavy rains, hailstorms in Pakistan |
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Islamabad: Pakistan''s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Wednesday that at least 49 people were killed and 176 others injured as torrential rains followed by flash floods continued to play havoc in Pakistan. The past three-day spell of heavy rains has also damaged 117 houses across the country, according to NDMA.
Most of the deaths have been reported from the country''s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and eastern Punjab provinces, where at least 33 people were killed, 18 persons in KP and 15 in Punjab. Rain-related incidents also claimed lives of 11 people in southwest Balochistan province and five in southern Sindh province, said a statement issued by the NDMA. Most of deaths were occurred due to roof collapse and electrocution, said local media reports.
The unseasonal rains accompanied by gusty winds downed many trees, electricity poles and signboards in several cities, causing multiple injuries to the citizens. Hailstorms and flash floods also caused severe damage to standing crop of wheat, mainly in Punjab. Anjum Buttar, agriculture director in the Punjab provincial government, said the authorities were assessing the condition of the wheat crop which has been affected due to hailstorms in central and southern Punjab, adding that the exact situation would be known after a few days.
Heavy downpour in different parts of the country inundated roads and streets, causing inconvenience to the motorists. Several mud houses, animals and vehicles were also washed away by flash floods. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast more rains and thunderstorm in most parts of the country in the coming days.
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