Heavy Rains Batter Shahdadpur: Child Killed, City Paralyzed

Sanghar (Hasnain Ashiq Saand) Torrential rains lashed Shahdadpur and adjoining areas for the third consecutive day, inundating low-lying neighborhoods and crippling daily life.

In village Jallal Noonari, tragedy struck when the roof of Fatah Noonari’s house collapsed with a loud crash, killing his six-year-old daughter Hajra on the spot. Her father Fatah Muhammad, mother Qamar-un-Nisa, and two children, Jan Ali and Rukhsar, sustained injuries. The injured and the deceased were shifted to hospital.

Mukhtiarkar Shahdadpur Reham Ali Zardari and other officials visited the site of the incident and later inquired after the injured at the hospital.

Meanwhile, heavy rains submerged key thoroughfares including Station Chowk, Hala Chowk, Hospital Chowk, Hangora Road, Maldas Road, Detha Chowk, Jani Purah, and several colonies, turning them into ponds and causing severe difficulties for commuters. Electricity supply to urban and rural areas remained suspended for more than 24 hours, while gas outages further disrupted domestic cooking.

Agriculture also suffered a major blow as large tracts of farmland and standing crops faced the risk of heavy damage. Cotton ginning factories, which had shut down operations before the rains, left farmers with no option but to sell their produce to middlemen at throwaway prices, adding to their woes.

While the rainfall brought a welcome drop in temperature, it also brought business activity to a halt and inflicted extensive damage to many low-lying homes.

The Shahdadpur Municipal Committee and Town Jatia declared a rain emergency. Under the supervision of Chief Municipal Officer Nazir Ahmed Dehio, all staff leaves were canceled and drainage and sanitation operations were launched on an urgent basis.