May 26, 2008	Monday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 20, 1429

DADU, May 25: About 45 people, including social workers and journalists, were stranded at the top of Gorakh Hill Station as heavy rain and hill torrents on Saturday night blocked all paths and roads leading to the tourist spot.

Cutural activists, workers of non-governmental organisations and a reporter of KTN at Wahi Pandhi, including Zulfiqar Birhamani, Ghulam Abbas Jangwani, Abdul Aziz Rustamani, Imtiaz, Ali Khan Bashir Ahmed were held up at the hill top.

Dr Zubair Ahmed, a visitor, said that the stranded people might face shortages of food and water if the efforts to rescue them took longer than expected.

He said that communication between Wahi Pandhi and Gorakh Hill Station had been cut off by heavy floodwater flowing into Nai Taki and Nai Dhabhani. Two vehicles had been sent to help them but the rescuers, too, were stranded at Nai Taki and Nai Dhabhani, which were inundated with rainwater.

Dadu DPO Manzoor Hussain Khatian said that police officials and vehicles would be sent to help the stranded people.

Strong winds and rain also lashed other parts of Dadu district, including Johi, Dadu and Khudabad while it continued to lash Gorakh Hill Station till the filling of this report, with level of Nai Gaj rising to four feet.