At least 30 persons have died in Punjab during last 24 hours due to scorching heat and fainted hundreds till Wednesday noon as the area remained in the grip of severe heat wave with mercury level touching record heights in a number of cities, 45.5 Degree celsius in Multan, 47 Degree Celsius in Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan.
The sizzling sun killed two persons each in, Lodhran, Kherpur Tamewali, Bhai Pheru, Faqirwali, and Chichawatni. Four each in Chiniot and Haroonabad. One each in Dera Ghazi Khan, Rahimyarkhan, Liaquatpur, Bahawalnagar, Chowk Azam, Bet Mirhazar Khan, Rangpur, Khangarh an employee of Irrigation department, Qutabpur, Shah Sadar Din, Mian-Chunnu, and Multan. DHO Multan Imtiaz Elahi Parachi said."
Two persons have died in Multan district. One Each in Multan city, Baba Tajdin and Qutabpur. District Health Officer Bahawalnagar confirmed the death of seven persons of heat strike, four in Haroonabad (Muhammad Abbas, Muhammad Sharif, Zafar and Muhammad Shafiq) Two in Faqirwali (Bashir Kamboh and Muhammad Imran) and one in Bahawalnagar city. District Health Officer Muzaffargarh Dr Muhammad Ashiq Khan said that Three persons died in Muzaffargarh, one died in Khangarh and identified as an-ex-employee of irrigation department, one in Rangpur and other in Bet Mir Hazarkhan. Sahibzada khan a Meteorologist has forecast the hot & dry weather and same pattern during next couple of days.
In Multan, the maximum temperature remained at the record highest level on the Third consecutive day on Monday. Maximum and minimum temperature in the City was recorded 48 degree Celsius and 29 C respectively. Principal of Nishtar Hospital Multan Professor Dr Laiq Hussain said that More than a dozen people are being taken to emergency who are heat stricken.
Uniform distribution of heat in the region is stopping development of local rain giving systems," said Meteorologist Sahibdad, adding the energy restored in the atmosphere was utilised in the cyclone in the Arabian Sea that hampered development of any rain giving system in the region. Power load shedding added to the miseries of the people. Traders and citizens of Layyah city staged a demonstration against the power company and burnt the effigy of its chief.