Snow, gusty winds lash Balochistan

Day to day life was completely disrupted across cities and towns of northern and central Balochistan, including Quetta, as heavy snow and rains lashed the region Saturday.

Along the coastline of Makran gusty winds and thunderstorms continued for 24 hours cutting off the power supply to towns.

Traffic was also affected at different highways and link roads as heavy trucks were reportedly stranded between Sanjavi and Ziarat due to heavy snowfall. Over a dozen people, who stranded in the area, were rescued and shifted to safe places by the levies force.

A third spell of heavy snowfall and rains hit last evening in Quetta. Ziarat, Sanjavi, Kojak Pass, Qila Abdullah, Kan Mehtarzai, Muslim Bagh, Khanozai, Toba Achakzai, Toba Kakari, Mastung, Kolpur, Kalat, Mangochar and many other areas.

The national highways linking Balochistan with Punjab and Khyber-Pukhtoonkhawa (K-P) were closed for hours but levies force, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), National Highway Authority (NHA) and other departments worked hard by employing heavy machinery and spraying salt at roads, eventually restoring the traffic flow.

“All highway and link roads including Quetta-Chaman Highway which connects Pakistan and Afghanistan are clear and no traffic suspension has been reported from any area,” a senior government official said while talking to The Express Tribune, adding that all required heavy machinery and equipment with staff are deployed in the area and working round the clock.

There are reports about damages along the Makran coastline as the gusty winds lashed all the three districts of Makran Division.

Officials in Gwadar said that damages occurred in the coastal areas of Gwadar, Pasni, Ormara and Jeweni due to the strong stormy winds caused high tides in the ocean.

Electricity pylons were uprooted in Pasni, Ormara, Jeweni and Gwadar which disrupted the power supply to the vast areas of Makran.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 24^th, 2022.