Flood and misery: Lightning and monsoon rains kill 24 in Sindh

District administration has asked for help but so far it has been difficult as all systems are down.

HYDERABAD: Nine people were killed due to continuous heavy rains and thunderstorms during the last 36 hours in the central and lower parts of Sindh, reported Express 24/7.

Thousands of people have reportedly gone homeless with no supply of food and water, while thousands of acres of agricultural land has also been destroyed.

Diseases are also spreading in the affected areas and a young boy reportedly died from gastroenteritis.

Meanwhile, 2,000 people were rescued in a joint operation by the army and navy in Jhaddo and Nokot areas.

Breaches in seasonal streams in several districts were also reported which has wreaked havoc in the rural and urban areas of the province.

Thousands of flood victims are living in relief camps and many more living under the open sky are still waiting for help.

Earlier, the government had decided to seek foreign aid assistance after reviewing the flood situation in the country. President Asif Ali Zardari also visited the flood-hit areas in Sindh to witness the devastation caused by the continuous heavy rains.

Print adds

The unrelenting torrential downpour further intensified on Thursday and killed more than 23 people in different parts of the province.

In Sanghar district, six young men from the Khaskheli caste between the ages of 15 and 24 years were killed, while three others were injured when they were struck by lightning. The men were in the process of moving livestock from the Jogio village in union council Chautiari.

In the last 24 hours, the meteorological department has recorded heavy rainfall in Mirpurkhas (168mm), Tharparkar (137mm), Dadu (71mm), Benazirabad (138mm), Hyderabad and Badin (20mm).

Sanghar and Tharparkar have asked the armed forces for help to evacuate people in boats. Although it started to rain in Sanghar by August 30, the district’s agriculture department was unable to release crop devastation statistics till September 5. So far rations have not been distributed either. “We will be distributing 6,000 bags by Friday,” said MPA Abdul Sattar Rajput.

In union council Jhol, a roof collapsed because of the heavy downpour, injuring 10 people in a restaurant. Fifty-year-old Khadim, 21-year-old Kamran Lakho, 20-year-old Shafique Jan, 40-year-old Sogham Chandio, 28-year-old Sabir Ali, 12-year-old Sonal and 45-year-old Muhammad Ameen Wassan died in different districts in rain-related incidents.

In Mirpurkhas, a family of five from the Kohli community died when their roof caved in near Samanabad. A woman from the fruit farm area also died in a similar manner.

In Matiari district, a woman died when her roof caved in, four members of her family were also injured. Sawan Laghari from Bhitshah Town was struck by lightning. In Badin’s Tando Bhago tehsil 12-year-old Rati Kohi and 14-year-old Bachal Jamali also died when the roof of their house  caved in.

In Umerkot, people were forced to evacuate their homes immediately because of the rain. Mohammad Hashim Kapri from the Jan Mohammad village was swept away in the flood and has not been found as yet. The district administration has asked for help but so far it has been difficult as the communication and transportation systems have not been working properly.

Fisherfolk and flood

A breach in the Chotiari Dam located near Sanghar district could prove to be problematic as it would inundate Mirpurkhas and Umerkot, said the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) in a statement issued on Thursday. “The monsoon rains have already caused devastation in over 1,200 villages and have affected 900,000 people,” it added. “The water level in the dam is rising and the banks are weak. If the water level rose by 20 feet, the banks would not be able to take the pressure.” The PFF statement said that their volunteers had reported that over 2,000 families in Mian Goth, 300 families in Harni village, 5,000 families in Mand Jamrao village were under water while 30 houses had collapsed in Baqar village. The fishing community has given their boats to the district administration to help rescue people from the Roopa Mari village.

(With additional input from PPI)

Published in The Express Tribune, September 9^th,  2011.