ISLAMABAD: Lightning strikes accompanied by heavy rains on Saturday claimed the lives of at least 25 people in Punjab and Balochistan provinces of Pakistan, according to local media reports.
A spokesperson for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), in Punjab alone, 17 people succumbed to the deadly strikes. Lightning struck at several locations including Muzaffargarh, Lodhran, Bahawalpur, Rahimyar Khan, Rajanpur and Bahawalnagar.
Heart-wrenching accounts came from the Faqeer Wali area near Haroonabad in Southern Punjab, where a father and his two sons lost their lives, while the mother and another son sustained injuries. Rescue 1122 confirmed reports of further casualties in Bahawalpur and Lodhran districts.
In another tragic chain of events, a family consisting of a husband, wife, and two children perished in Rahim Yar Khan city.
In Balochistan, eight individuals fell victim to the lightning strikes following torrential rainfall. Reports indicate two fatalities each from Chaman and Surab districts, with additional casualties reported from Qilla Abdullah, Pishin, Dera Bugti and Muslim Bagh.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has extended his condolences to the families affected by the lightning strikes in both provinces.
The tragic events unfolded against the backdrop of warnings by the Pakistan Meteorological Department, forecasting thunderstorms and rain across the country.
