HARIPUR: Three people, including a child, lost their lives after a fire broke out in a cluster of nomad tents near Tarbela Lake, reportedly triggered by a windstorm.
Several others, including women and children, sustained serious burn injuries and were transported to hospitals in Haripur, Wah Cantt, and Peshawar for treatment. Due to the lack of a burn unit in Haripur, critically injured victims had to be shifted to facilities outside the district.
Rescue officials said the blaze also killed around 150 livestock belonging to the nomadic community. Search operations are ongoing for individuals still reported missing.
According to initial police investigations, the fire was likely sparked when a gust of wind carried flames from a cooking area to a nearby wheat heap, which ignited rapidly and spread to the surrounding tents.
WINDSTORM IMPACT
The fire coincided with a powerful windstorm that swept through upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Potohar, and Kashmir on Sunday. The storm came as a relief after a scorching heatwave that gripped the country earlier in the week.
Temperatures in Islamabad soared to 40°C, while Lahore and other regions saw temperatures climb into the high 40s. Despite strong gusts that filled the air with dust and uprooted trees, disruptions were limited due to the weekend holiday.
The weather disturbance wasn’t limited to Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Thunderstorms first hit Parachinar and surrounding areas in the late afternoon before moving westward, impacting broader regions in northern Pakistan.
