At least 15 people were killed over the past two days as torrential rains swept across Pakistan’s Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, AP reported quoting rescue officials and police on Wednesday.
The National Disaster Management Authority of Pakistan on Wednesday said that the heavy downpour began on Tuesday and continued into Wednesday, according to IANS. The authority said that Punjab province was the worst hit. Twelve people died in rain-related incidents in the province, while 17 people were injured and one house was washed away. Local media reports, however, said that 19 people had died in Punjab province alone. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two people were killed and two others were injured.
Rescue officials said most deaths were caused by electrocution and homes caving in, according to AP.
In Punjab’s capital Lahore, two massive sinkholes appeared on Mall Road in the wake of the rains on Tuesday, according to CNN. A number of open ducts near a building had caused water seepage, eroding subsoil, said Lahore Development Authority Chief Engineer Mazhar Khan. “As a result, the road easily gave way during the downpour,” Khan added.
By Wednesday night, the sinkholes had been filled and the road was repaired.
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