Storms expose rural homes' vulnerability

Express Tribune

3 days ago

At least 10 people were injured as severe thunderstorms caused structural collapses across Punjab on Tuesday.
According to Rescue 1122 officials, the provincial emergency service reported widespread damage to homes and boundary walls as high winds and heavy rains battered several areas.
In Chichawatni, two women were injured when the roof of their home in Gulstan Colony collapsed during the storm. The victims, identified as 70-year-old Kulsoom Bibi and 35-year-old Shakeela, were rushed to a nearby hospital. Nearby, two boys playing outside their home, 10-year-old Umar Farooq and 12-year-old Abu Sufyan, were injured when a mud wall gave way under the force of the wind.
The situation proved equally dangerous in Pakpattan district, where five members of a family were injured when their home's roof collapsed near Lakhnawali Bahmani Bridge. The victims included three children – Zain, aged three, Rehan, five, and Rizwan, seven -- along with 20-year-old Sadia and 70-year-old Sharifan. In a separate incident along the Nanakpur-Dipalpur road, 13-year-old Areeba was struck by debris from a neighbour's collapsing boundary wall.
Rescue 1122 teams transported the injured to medical facilities. "Our emergency teams were deployed within minutes of receiving distress calls," said a spokesperson, Farooq Ahmed. "All victims received immediate medical attention."
The incidents sparked renewed concerns about housing safety standards in rural areas, particularly regarding old mud-brick structures vulnerable to extreme weather.
With more storms forecast for the coming days, the authorities urged residents to exercise caution around potentially unstable buildings and to report any emergency situation immediately through the Rescue 1122 helpline.
Meanwhile, Punjab Emergency Services Secretary Dr Rizwan Naseer directed all district emergency officers to ensure timely emergency ambulance, rescue and fire services to citizens across the province during the Eid holidays. He said during a meeting that close coordination must be maintained with the district and tehsil headquarters hospitals for coping with any untoward incident.
The provincial monitoring officer informed the secretary that special rescue teams would be deployed on Eid.
These rescuers along with 892 ambulances, 2,300 motorbikes, 80 rescue and 303 fire vehicles shall be available at key points and rescue stations. Additional rescue posts shall also be established to provide optimum emergency cover. The Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) and Patient Transfer Services (PTS) Cell at the headquarters will operate round-the-clock to ensure the timely transfer of patients from tertiary to specialised healthcare facilities by road and air ambulances, especially for remote areas.
On the occasion, urged the citizens to ensure safety precaution while visiting water recreational sites during the vacations. He advised people not to enter water or a boat without wearing life jackets.
Climate change
Addressing a seminar organised at Punjab University of mark the World Environment Day, Punjab Parliamentary Secretary for Environmental Protection Kanwal Pervaiz said climate change had emerged as the greatest challenge of the 21st century, with Pakistan among the most severely affected countries.
She said human activity had been the primary driver of environmental degradation, noting that emissions from nearly 80 of vehicles are a major contributor to urban pollution. "Lahore was once known as the city of gardens; sadly, it is now referred to as the city of pollution," she lamented.
With additional input from APP