QUETTA, March 4: At least 10 people were killed and many others injured as their houses collapsed in Quetta and Chaman due to heavy rain in the region on Friday.

Five members of a family died in Killi-nu-Hasar, a village in the outskirts of Quetta, when the roof of their house caved in while they were asleep, officials said.

"The five died on the spot," Aminullah Khilji, a police officer, said. The victims were identified as Gul Sakai, Sakina, Rehmatullah, Samiullah and Najibullah. Naseebullah, the head of the family, and two others escaped unhurt though they had been sleeping in the same room.

Four persons including two women were killed in similar incidents in two villages in Chaman, according to reports. Rain claimed one life in Gharibabad area of Loralai. The victim was identified as Abdullah.

"There isn't a single village where about 30 to 50 houses have not collapsed," Salahuddin Achakzai, nazim of Qila Abdullah, said after visiting the rain-affected areas.

He said that hundreds more homes could collapse any time as rains had badly affected them. Mr Achakzai said fear of more houses collapsing had driven thousands of people out of their homes into the open.

He accused the provincial government of backing out of its promise of providing tents, blankets and foodstuff to victims. "More people might die if these things are not immediately provided," the nazim warned.

"We have sent an SOS to the federal government and international aid agencies for providing us tents, blankets and foodstuff for homeless people," Mr Achakzai said. Heavy rain had worsened the situation in Mastung, Nushki, Dalbandin, the border town of Taftan, Bolan, Sibi and many areas of Kachhi district.