RAWALPINDI - Torrential rain continued on Tuesday multiplying the miseries of citizens with zero gas pressure and electricity breakdown, besides intensifying cold, flooding roads and streets.The hill station Murree and Galiyat received heavy snowfall blocking roads, disrupting communication system and stranding hundreds of tourists. Further an incident of landslide in village Pir Bagla Murree led to burying of a private school and few surrounding houses. Luckily no life was lost in the incident.Five tourists, who were female students, sustained injuries when a high potency electric wire fell on their vehicle at Jheka Galli, informed City Traffic Police. Rescue 1122 immediately shifted the victims to near by hospital for medical treatment. Rainwater also inundated city’s many roads triggering a massive traffic blockage. Very slow business activities in almost all the markets and shopping plazas were reported.Meanwhile, Rescue 1122, on the information of locals who saw the floating body, fished out the dead body of a 17 years old boy, who drowned into Nullah Leh at Fauiji Colony while crossing a small bridge on Monday noon, from Nullah Leh at Mareer Hassan Bridge. The deceased identified as Rahim Ullah son of Jabbar Khan, resident of Pirwadhai. Police, under the supervision of Station House Officer (SHO) Raja Shakeel, also rushed to hospital for completing legal formalities, where the deceased’s father refused to conduct the postmortem of his soon. Nonetheless, SHO requested the doctors to carry out autopsy to determine the cause of death of the young boy.Talking to TheNation, the SHO said, “We will ask the doctors to conduct the postmortem of the boy to clarify whether his death if natural or was murdered by someone.” The intermittent rains continued to inundate the low-lying areas of Javaid Colony, Nadeem Colony, Dhoke Khaba, Dhoke Chiragh Din and Gawalmandi. The roads and streets of Raja Bazaar, Jamia Masjid Road, Asghar Mall Scheme, Holy Family Hospital, 5th Road, 6th Road, 7th Road, Commercial Market, Sadiqabad, Kuri Road, Shakeriyal, Muslim Town, Khana Road, Dhoke Kala Khan, Haji Chowk, Transformer Chowk, Rawal Road, Chah Sultan, Naz Cinema, Benazir Bhutto Road, Committee Chowk, Iqbal Road, Dhoke Elahi Bux, Dhoke Khaba, Tipu Road, Viqar un Nisa College Road, Mareer Hassan, Moti Mehal, RA Bazaar, Chungi Number 22, Tench Bhata, Bakra Mandi, Chakri Road, Sihal, Chihan, Motorway Interchange, Chontra, Adyala Village, Shahpur, Gorakh Pur, Gulshan Abad, Kehkashan, Jarahi, Ali Town, Chungi Number 20, Caltax Road, GT Road, Katcheri, Gulistan Colony, Ayub Park, Morgah Mor, Soan Bridge, Kahuta Road and Mandra, Rawat and Chakwal Road were flooded with rain water, causing problems for vehicular moments. The rain also water entered the houses at low lying areas that brought double trouble along with cold weather to the inhabitants. The roads in different areas of the city especially in cantonments were also inundated and rain water damaged few newly constructed roads. Rawal Road, Kurri Road, BBR, Adyala Road, roads in Harly street in Chaklala Cantonment Board were broken with heavy rain. The authorities had to use de-watering pumps and sucking machines to dry the courtyards of newly constructed Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (RIC) that was also flooded with rain water. People faced troubles in chilly weather because of low pressure of gas in many areas. Prices of soups, eggs, chicken, coals, woods and dry fruits were also jacked up by the shopkeepers. Water level in Nullah Leh also risen, swelling wave of terror among the inhabitants residing along with the banks of the Nullah. Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) spokesperson Umer Farooq said that though the water flow in the Nullah was unusual according to the winter standards but there was no flooding in it. When contacted District Coordination Officer (DCO) Rawalpindi Saqib Zaffar said all such bridges were removed from Leh in recent past following monsoon rains for saving public lives after the incident took place at Fauji Colony. Strict action would be taken against all those who construct and use such small bridges causing risk to human life, he said.On the other hand, the heavy snowfall had led to traffic problems as long queues of vehicles were seen on the roads leading to Murree as Tuesday was a public holiday. Hundreds of tourists including students who came Murree on study tour, also stuck in snowfall. All the roads wore white blanket. The machinery of TMA Muree and Highway Department got dysfunctional and did not remove the snow from roads. Till the filing of this report, no snow removing operation started in Murree.Online adds: Heavy rainfall continued to lash the twin cities for the third consecutive day confining the residents to their home on a holiday on Tuesday, in connection with the Kashmir Solidarity Day.Rain and chilling cold coupled with electricity and gas loadshedding created lots of hardship for the residents of Rawalpindi. Rain has bought the mercury down to 7 degree Celsius and throwing the normal life out of gear. The Met Office reported 69mm rainfall in Islamabad since its start on Sunday.The heavy rain and bad weather conditions also affected domestic and international flights at Benazir Bhutto International Airport. The rain created problems for road users, especially pedestrians and motorcyclists. Most of the roads and streets have been dug up for laying waterlines, sewers or other utility services with mud dumped alongside mostly in the cantonment areas.The rain and chilling weather forced most of the residents to stay indoors. Usually on a holiday, residents throng to public parks and other recreational areas to enjoy their holiday. But on Tuesday the roads were given a deserted look due to heavy rain.“The rain confined us to home. It’s really cold and I am not going outside along with my small children,” said Mobeen adding the cold and chilly weather could affect children’s health.There were no business activities as all main markets, city centres, bazaars and shops presented a deserted look. Only food vendors did a thriving business.However, the cold weather increased the sale of fish, soup, Halwa and other items.Meanwhile, persistent down pour has led to severe traffic jams besides impeding ongoing development work in Rawalpindi city. The heavy shower like the other parts of the country not only paralysed the normal life in Rawalpindi city but also set the vehicular traffic system on all the roads and avenues while the Benazir Bhutto Road remained the worst affected during the torrential rains.The lashing showers of rain have adversely hit the ongoing work on mega projects including Mareer Hassan Tunnel Expansion, Sixth road flyover and service road and on the other side the scattered material and equipment of these projects stalled the traffic flow causing a perpetual nuisance for the citizens. On Benazir Bhutto Road, the vehicular owners had to take 4 to 5 hours to cover the distance from Benazir Hospital to Mareer Chowk. The traffic flow on other avenues adjacent to Murree road including Liaqat Road, Rawal Road, Rashid Minhas Road, double Road and Sixth Road was seen creeping. Under construction service road along side sixth road flyover compounded traffic mess.