Balochistan rains claim eight lives
Torrential rains and flash floods wreaked havoc in Balochistan, killing at least eight people and causing widespread damage across the province.
During the recent spell of monsoon rains accompanied by gusty winds, several districts of Balochistan, including Kachi, Harnai, Pishin, Khuzdar, Kech and Panjgur, were inundated while the communication and road infrastructure links of several towns were broken from other parts of the province.
In Pishin at least five members of a family died as roof of their mud house collapsed due to continuous rain during the last two days. Pishin Deputy Commissioner Shahbbir Mengal told media that roof of Mohammad’s house collapsed in Killi Regi area of Bostan Tehsil which killed the man and his four children.
A team of Levies rushed to the site and started rescue operation, Mengal said. The bodies were pulled out from the debris and shifted to the District Headquarter Hospital Pishin, he added.
In Kech, a vehicle carrying eleven passengers, including women and children, was swept away by flash floods in Murg ab Nadi.
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According to a Levies source, the passengers were travelling in a private vehicle when they were stuck in a rainstorm while their vehicle was passing through Murg-Ab Nadi area and they were washed away by the flash flood.
The officials of Levies and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) rushed to the area and launched rescue operation that continued till late Thursday night.
Turbat Assistant Commissioner Aqeel Karim said rescuers recovered two dead bodies, including one of an aged woman, and rescued two men who were in injured condition. The victims were shifted to Turbat hospital.
The rescue operation stopped due to late night and hilly area and was resumed early Friday morning, AC Turbat said, adding two children were missing and efforts for their recovery were underway.
He confirmed that 11 passengers were traveling in the vehicle, out of which five managed to save their lives while others drowned.
Meanwhile, several villages of Sarona and Shah Noorani tehsils of Khuzdar district were flooded as heavy rain caused widespread damage across the towns.
Talking to media Wadh assistant commissioner said a red alert was issued in the area and rescuers were sent to the rain-stricken town with relief supplies to help out the people.
He said villages were inundated after heavy rain and flash floods in Sarona-Station, Kani-Mass, Goth Qasim, Kurdan, Kacho and other areas. However, no casualty was reported so far, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 17th, 2021.