‘Relief operation to continue till last person rescued’

QUETTA: Balochistan government has vowed to continue the relief operation in the province until the last person stranded in the rain-and-snow-hit areas is rescued.

Relief operations continued in snow-battered areas for the third consecutive day as necessary goods and as much as 3,000 packets of food items were delivered to people who were stranded.

Addressing the media the other day in the provincial capital, Balochistan government spokesperson Liaquat Ali Shahwani said, “The provincial government is utilising all resources to rescue people stranded in the rain and snow and supplying them food.”

He said where the roads had been blocked food was being transported via aerial means.

He said that most of thoroughfares in the province had now been opened for traffic.

“National and provincial highways have been restored for traffic while link-roads would be opened in a day or two,” he noted.

“The Provincial Disaster Management Authority splashed salt on N50 and N25 highways as roads had turned slippery following heavy snowfall,” he added.

Most of the deaths in the province have been attributed to mud houses collapse and highway accidents.

He maintained the government had made efforts beforehand to deal with the natural calamity and had asked people to avoid unnecessary travel.

“The recent spate of snowfall has broken the last 30 years record. The provincial government had made early arrangements and transported heavy machinery to different areas for damage control and saving human lives,” he said.

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal also visited the snow-hit areas and remained in contact with all commissioners and deputy commissioners to monitor relief and rescue operations.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2020.