45 killed, 200 injured as freak Storm In Northwest Pakistan

Islamabad : A freak storm has killed at least 45 people and more than 200 injured in in northwestern Pakistan, officials said on Monday. At least 17 mm rain was recorded on Sunday in Peshawar and adjacent areas, while strong winds ran as high as 110 kmph.

The April 26 storm brought hail and strong winds that destroyed buildings, uprooted trees, and felled electric power poles in the city of Peshawar and adjacent districts. The Pakistani army said it had sent troops to the area to launch rescue and relief operations.

Provincial Information Minister Mushtaq Ghani said army troops and rescuers were using cranes to dig through the rubble and look for survivors. He also expressed fear that hundreds of cattle were killed. Flights at the airports in Islamabad and Peshawar were suspended due to the storm.

The wind, accompanied by heavy rain and hail late on Sunday, disrupted power supplies and telecommunications services and damaged infrastructure and crops, said district official Riaz Mehsud. The injured overwhelmed Peshawar's main Lady Reading Hospital, a spokesman said.

Heavy weather on Monday forced the Pakistani military to cancel two flights to Nepal taking supplies to survivors of Saturday's earthquake. They were rescheduled to Tuesday.

Get all updates by Like us on Facebook and Follow on Twitter