June 28, 2007	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 12, 1428

HYDERABAD, June 27: Seven people, including four children, were killed, more than 30 suffered injuries in different rain-related incidents and over 210 villages were cut off from the rest of the world as the monsoon rain continued to lash Sindh on the fifth consecutive day on Wednesday.

Upcountry traffic remained suspended for several hours on one lane of Hyderabad by-pass, which developed a crater in the wake of rains.

Airport's meteorological office recorded 31.8 mm of rain in Hyderabad since June 21 to date while 6.3 mm of rain was recorded last night. Minimum temperature was recorded at 26.7 degree Celsius and 32.5 degree centigrade at maximum.

The office predicts more rains with thunderstorm at a few places during next 24 hours.

It rained intermittently throughout the night leading to power breakdowns in many parts of the city. Power outage is giving nightmares to the residents and pedestrians especially in the areas where roads and streets had been dug up for laying sewerage and water supply lines.

Seventeen people including women suffered injuries when two Karachi-bound buses overturned near Sann on the Indus Highway.

Water level in Nai Gaj Nala rose to 20 feet in the wake of heavy rains in Khirthar mountain range along Sindh-Balochistan border, which cut off 200 villages from the rest of the district and destroyed many bridges and roads.

Nai Gaj’s water, which flows into Manchhar Lake, has raised the lake’s level from 110.15-RL to 111.3-RL and increased pressure at RD-50 and RD-5 4 of the flood protective bund.

Johi Taluka Nazim Dr Bandah Ali Leghari told Dawn that two children were killed when roof of their house collapsed in Qasbo village in Kachho area and three people died of snakebite in Golo Faqir and Shahak Rodhnani villages. Two sisters, Shazia, 5, and Afroze, 10, were killed and five of their family members sustained injuries when their house collapsed in Allahdad Bhatti village in Khairpur late on Tuesday evening. The strong current of hill torrents played havoc in Gaibidero cutting off more than 10 villages situated next to Khirthar range of mountains from the rest of the area.

A bus carrying 30 passengers which had stranded on its way to Shahdadkot on Tuesday safely moved to nearby Barija village, reports said.

An official of Red Crescent, Abdul Hakim Leghari, informed journalists that his organisation had set up relief camps in Johi and arranged a number of boats to reach the disconnected villages in Kachho to distribute relief goods among the affected villagers.

Zulfiqar Birhamani, an affected villager, said that people were facing shortage of food and medicines in Kachho area.

More than dozen passengers were injured when a speeding bus fell into a deep ditch due to slipperiness on the road caused by rain in Mirpurkhas.