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As torrential monsoon rains battered Pakistan's Punjab province on Monday, at least three people were killed and three others injured in rain-related incidents, while widespread urban flooding submerged roads and low-lying neighbourhoods, severely disrupting traffic and public movement, Dawn reported.
Citing the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Dawn reported that a man died and another was injured after a house collapsed in Bahawalpur district's Uch Sharif area, while two children drowned in Khushab. Two more people sustained injuries in separate roof collapse incidents in Mandi Bahauddin and Lodhran. Another house was also reported damaged in Bahawalpur. The heavy downpour followed a forecast by the Pakistan Meteorological Department's Flood Forecasting Division, which had warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall across parts of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan through August 4. Dawn reported that authorities also recorded nine additional deaths unrelated to the ongoing rains or flooding. These included several drowning incidents in canals and rivers in Kot Addu, Narowal and Attock, while four children died of suffocation after becoming trapped inside a parked car in Mianwali. A PDMA official clarified that these fatalities were not linked to the monsoon spell. PDMA Director General Saif Anwar Jappa directed deputy commissioners across Punjab to remain on high alert as the wet spell is expected to continue until August 5. According to Dawn, he said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was closely monitoring the situation and had instructed district administrations, Rescue 1122, the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and other departments to keep emergency teams and machinery on standby. The Provincial Control Room and district emergency operation centres have been activated to monitor the situation round the clock. Authorities have also been instructed to ensure the swift drainage of rainwater from low-lying areas and advised residents to avoid electricity poles, hanging wires and unsafe structures during the rains. According to Dawn, Lahore witnessed several hours of heavy rainfall, resulting in severe waterlogging in areas including Township, Kacha Jail Road, Haider Road and Quaid-i-Azam Industrial Estate. Water accumulated up to one-and-a-half feet in some locations, causing long traffic snarls and forcing commuters to take alternate routes. The report added that Lahore received an average of 24.8mm of rainfall, while Faisalabad recorded the highest rainfall at 103mm, leading to extensive flooding at several key intersections. Urban flooding was also reported from Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin and Jhelum, where Wasa teams continued de-watering operations to restore normalcy. (ANI)
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