Catastrophic Hailstorm Strikes Pakistan, Resulting in 5 Fatalities
Click to start listening
Synopsis
A severe hailstorm has struck Pakistan, particularly affecting Islamabad, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The storm has led to five fatalities and significant property and crop damage, with hailstones reaching golf ball size. Local authorities are working to assess and address the widespread impact.
Key Takeaways
- Five fatalities reported due to the hailstorm.
- Hailstones reached the size of golf balls.
- Significant damage to properties and crops.
- Flash floods caused additional fatalities.
- Local authorities are assessing the damage.
Islamabad, April 17 (NationPress) A catastrophic hailstorm swept through sections of Pakistan's capital Islamabad as well as the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), resulting in the deaths of at least five individuals and causing damage to properties and standing crops worth millions.
Numerous vehicles were damaged in Islamabad as hailstones the size of golf balls pummeled the area. The renowned Faisal Mosque in the capital also experienced damage with its windows shattered due to the storm. Intense winds uprooted trees and power pylons in the Tornal region, which was the most severely affected area in the capital.
Residents reported that they had never encountered such a hailstorm in the capital before.
"The hailstones were the size of golf balls and fell like rain. It was frightening. We witnessed them smashing the windscreens of numerous vehicles and damaging other structures," shared a local resident in Islamabad.
In other provinces, the hailstorm, followed by flash floods, resulted in fatalities and caused significant damage to public property, along with impacting ready crop fields.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, rain-induced flash floods disrupted traffic on the main Peshawar-Torkham Road, halting it for at least five hours. The swollen streams also inundated main roads.
According to reports, a military personnel lost his life after lightning struck his bunker in KP's Landi Kotal area. Intense rainfall also triggered flash floods, washing away vehicles.
Rainwater entered the transit camp where repatriating Afghan nationals are housed before being sent back to Afghanistan. The camp near the Hamza Baba mausoleum was inundated, affecting the registration process for families being deported.
In KP's Charsadda district, the hailstorm and heavy rains devastated acres of standing crops, including wheat, vegetables, and fruit orchards. The heavy rainfall also uprooted trees and electricity poles.
"We are closely monitoring the situation and maintaining communication with district administrations. All necessary measures have been taken to provide compensation and address the losses caused by the floods," stated KP's Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).
In Punjab, one individual died when a mosque wall collapsed in Rawalpindi, while two fatalities occurred in Gujar Khan when a wall fell onto a passing trolley in Sohawa. A shopkeeper was also killed after being struck by lightning in the Pull Magsan area of Muzaffargarh.
This recent storm, which was brief but left a trail of destruction across Pakistan, followed several days of dry and hot weather in various regions. Experts indicate that the area is experiencing a vertical instability, where hot air rising from the plains of Punjab came into contact with cold winds from northern Iran, creating a temperature contrast.
"Hailstorms occur due to this combination of varying temperatures, but extreme weather events are becoming increasingly frequent, and the large size of hailstones is one such instance," remarked Zaheer Babar, spokesperson for the MeT office.
