Rawalpindi/Islamabad - A lawyer travelling in a car was swept away in an overflowing ‘nullah’ in a private housing society during heavy rain that hit the city on Wednesday night.

The missing lawyer was identified as Raja Imran Kiani while Rescue 1122 divers have been conducting a search operation in Soan River. So far, the divers could not find the body. The incident took place at 4am near Ghari Chowk in the limits of Police Station Rawat, they added.

According to sources, Imran Kiyani was heading home in a car when a swift flood intercepted him at Ghari Chowk. The lawyer tried his best to drive out of the water but he swept away along with the car, they said. The security officers of the housing society intimated the Rescue 1122 which rushed to the site and began rescue operation, they added. Till filing of this report, search for body of the lawyer was underway.

Meanwhile, torrential rain also caused flooding in several low-laying areas including Nullah Leh, paralysing normal life.

Many roads including flyovers of Committee Chowk, Pirwadhai, Faizabad Interchange and GT Road were submerged.

Similarly, rainwater inundated areas of Shamasabad, Dhoke Kala Khan, Awan Colony, Javed Colony, Sadiqabad and many other localities.

However, the rain dropped mercury level considerably and people took sigh of relief. WAPDA suspended power supply in various areas of the city during the heavy showers.

The district administration issued rain emergency and put all civic bodies including WASA and Municipal Corporation to cope with any kind of mishap, according to DC Chaudhry Ali Randhawa.

Rail service, domestic and international flights schedule at New Islamabad International Airport was also affected badly.

According to Met Department officials, Saidpur received 157mm rain; PMD, H-8, 124mm; Shamasabad, 116; Chaklala 34; Golra 65; Bokra 31 and Basin Mean was 84.05.

The water level was recorded 5.75 feet at Kattarian and 3.5 feet at Gawalmandi. According to details, torrential rain hit the city on Wednesday night causing huge troubles for residents of low-laying areas.

The sewerage system and the seasonal nullahs got chocked and rainwater entered in houses and shops located at Awan Colony, Shamasabad, Sadiqabad, Shakrial, Dhok Kala Khan, Bilal Colony, Nadim Colony, Tench Bhatta, Kashmir Colony and many other areas.

Several commuters got stuck in rainwater on Murree Road, Peshawar Road and on GT Road.

The residents remained busy in pumping out rainwater from their houses with help of tubs and drums in a bid to save their households. Scores of residents protested against poor performance of civic bodies and appealed Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Khan Buzdar to initiate action against high ups of the civic bodies for not cleaning sewerage system and dredging seasonal nullahs that caused flood in heavy rain.

Similarly, Liaquat Bagh, Shangrila Hotel, Committee Chowk and Pirwadhai underpasses, Muslim Town and Ashraf Town were also flooded with heavy rain triggering traffic jam.

Rainwater entered in our house and damaged precious luggage, said Amir Khan, resident of Dhoke Kala Khan. He said that the area people had requested the civic bodies to clean up the sewerage system to prevent flooding in monsoon but nobody paid heed. He asked the DC to take action against the civic bodies for their failure in cleaning the sewerage system.

Saim Ali of Pirwadhai said that heavy rain caused flood in his town. Rainwater inundated the streets and roads, he said. The rain washed away a newly-carpeted street in the area, he said.

DC Chaudhry Ali Randhawa along with MD WASA Tanvir and CEO Municipal Administration Corporation Khawaja Imran Safdar also paid a visit to several places in the city and witnessed the work of WASA and other civic bodies.

He also visited Flood Control Room and WASA monitoring. He advised the residents to not allow their children to go out from houses in low-laying areas.

A mother and her one-year-old son died after rainwater entered into the basement they were sleeping in at PWD Colony on Thursday morning.

The rescue teams, however, saved 7 other family members. The rainwater entered the basement of the house after a wall of the building collapsed around 5 am. As a result, Sehrish Farhan, wife of Farhan, and Shahan, son of Farhan, drowned in the water. The rescue teams shifted the bodies to the PIMS hospital for legal formalities. The family members evacuated alive included a girl and 5 boys. They include Amina, daughter of Rehan (8), Ibrahim, son of Farhan (10), Maha, daughter of Farhan (7), Meerab, daughter of Farhan (12), Abdul Hanan, son of Adnan (10), Esha, daughter of Adnan (18) and Arslan, son of Farhan (3). Meanwhile, Orangzeb, son of Javed, a resident of Balakot, AJK drowned in Swan River near Kak Pul. The rescue teams were busy in searching the body.