June 27, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 11, 1428

HYDERABAD, June 26: Four children died and more than 17 people, including women and children, suffered injuries in roof and wall collapse incidents and about 300 villages were marooned in water as moderate to heavy rain continued to lash Sindh on the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday.

The rain and accompanying strong winds uprooted trees and electric poles in many parts and damaged the crops of pan, paddy and date palm. Many cities and towns experienced shortage of vegetables and fruits after the rain scuttled farmers’ attempts to bring their produce to markets.

Drainage and water supply systems broke down in almost all the cities and towns leading to accumulation of water on the roads, streets and low-lying areas, which if not drained out in time would become a breeding place for mosquitoes.

People across the province suffered prolonged power outages, stretched to more than 12 hours in many districts.

Rafeel, 16, and Sanaullah, 20, of Kotri, drowned in Kalri Baghar Feeder.

Hill torrents have cut off Thano Bula Khan of Jamshoro from the other parts of the district.

Rain continued to lash with intervals Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Thatta, Khairpur, Naushahro Feroze, Badin, Dadu, Mithi, Mirpurkhas, Larkana and Shikarpur and their adjoining areas.

Meteorological department recorded 5.5 mm of rain with minimum temperature at 26.4 degrees Celsius and maximum at 32.5 degrees in Hyderabad.

Eleven people including women and children were injured in Jamal Shah village near Buchheri in Nawabshah when the roof of their house caved in. Three more people, Mohammad Urs Shaikh and his sons, Amir and Dawood, suffered injuries after a wall fell on them in Makhand village near Daur.

An official at local Met office said that total rain recorded since Monday evening was 17.6 mm in the district.

Entire low-laying settlements in Thatta, Sujawal, Mirpur Bathoro and their adjoining areas submerged in water cutting off around 200 villages from the rest of the country. Rain adversely affected vegetables, pan, banana and paddy in the district.

Growers in Khairpur feared that the rain would affect early varieties of date palm and mango. The city experienced shortage of vegetables and fruits as the rain prevented villagers from travelling to the city with their produce.

People in Badin passed sleepless night for fear of cyclone “Yemyin 03B” as the rain continued. A team of journalists visited LBOD and witnessed that so far it posed no danger to the nearby villages.

Two children were killed when roof of their house caved in due to rain in Sadaruddin Leghari village in Kachho area while the overswollen Nai Gaj Nala fed by rain torrents from Khirthar mountains rose to 19.5 foot.

The strong currents in the Nala damaged Wahi Pandhi bridge, washed away some parts of roads, flooded 10 villages and cut off about 100 villages over last two days. The Nai Gaj water, which flows into Manchhar Lake, is developing pressure at RD-50 of flood protective bund.

According to reports, Nagarparkar and Diplo received 16mm and 10mm downpour on Monday and Mithi 20mm, which had become centre of attraction for people from across the province who were rushing there to have an opportunity to visit Thar after monsoon rains.

Two minor children, Faraz Ahmed, 5, and his sister Komal, 2, were buried alive while Asif, 25, suffered injuries when roof their house in Mirokhan town, 40 kilometres from Larkana, caved in.

The rain caused one-foot rise in the level of Hamal Lake while there were reports that a bus heading to Shahdadkot from Khuzdar carrying 60 passengers had been stranded in the torrential rainwater in Khairthar mountains for 48 hours. Torrential rain channels coming down from the mountains had cut off around 20 villages in the district.