August 03, 2008	Sunday	Rajab 30, 1429

LARKANA, Aug 2: A woman, a 10-year-old girl and a man died and six people, two among them minors, were injured in different rain-related incidents and an unspecified number of mud-thatched houses collapsed as the heavy monsoon rains continued to lash the province on Saturday.

It started raining late on Friday night and continued to lash Larkana, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Sukkur, Rohri, Salehpat, Pano Akil, Ghotki, Mirpur Mathelo, Ubauro, Daharki, Shikarpur, Kashmore, Kandhkot, Thull, Tangwani, Buxapur, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Khairpur, Nausharo Feroze, Mirpurkhas, Badin and Tando Mohammad Khan

Ms Soni Khoso, 45, died when the roof of her house caved in, in Khosa in Shahdadkot and Khadim Hussain, Ms Haseena, Shamshad, 5, and Seema, 3, were injured.

In another incident, Rabia Mirbahar, 10, drowned in Hamal Lake when the boat of her fishermen family capsized due to rain and strong winds. Abrar Detho and Shahid Hussain were injured when roof of their house collapsed in Nazar mohalla.

Reports reaching from Moenjodaro said that rain had developed fissures in SD area, which were soon filled up.

Rainwater had accumulated in all low-lying areas and main roads of the city with city’s drainage system put on hold due to long power breakdown. Work on improving the city’s obsolete drainage system had further complicated the situation.

The heavy downpour began at 8.30 pm (Friday) in Qambar, 9.00 pm in Shahdadkot and 10.15 pm in Larkana on Friday night and continued on Saturday.

The electricity went off with the first drop of rain. Reports from Moenjodaro said that around 50 villages including Balhreji connected with Nasirabad Grid station had been without power for over 24 hours.

People took to the streets over power shutdown and blocked the road at Rice Canal Regulator, burnt tyres and called for early restoration of power supply to the area.

The monsoon rains had affected recently sown paddy crop, said Gada Hussain Mahisar, central vice-president of Sindh Abadgar Board. He estimated damages to paddy at this stage to around 20 to 35 per cent.

He said that the rains would however benefit tail-end growers in Qubo Saeed Khan, Saifullah Magsi branch, Dhori branch, and some tributaries fed by Warah Canal.

As a precautionary move, irrigation officials had lowered flow of water in all the canals originating from the River Indus.

Entire upper Sindh including, Sukkur, Rohri, Salehpat, Pano Akil, Ghotki, Mirpur Mathelo, Ubauro, Daharki, Shikarpur, Kashmore, Kandhkot, Thull, Tangwani, Buxapur and their adjoining areas were hit by first monsoon rainfall, which started late on Friday night and continued till Saturday evening with intervals.

There were no reports of loss of life or property from any part of the district.

In Shikarpur, heavy rain lashed the city and its adjoining areas, which started on Friday night and continued till Saturday morning.

The torrential rain caused the motor vehicle office of Excise and Taxation to collapse and damage its record. Similarly, buildings of girls college, girls high school, primary boys school at Lakhi-Gate area were partially damaged.

The rains badly affected operation theatre of a government-run hospital and damaged dates and vegetable crops. An unspecified number of old mud-thatched houses collapsed in the city and its adjoining areas, killing one Badshah Khan Jagirani in Jagirani village and injuring some people.

In Khairpur, heavy downpour that hit the district late on Friday night and continued till 10 am on Saturday damaged many mud-thatched houses.

The rain is more likely to harm date palm orchards while it will benefit cotton, paddy, sugarcane and banana crops.

A large number of telephone lines went dead as the rainwater seeped through to underground telephone cables.

In Jacobabad, Naushahro Feroze, Moro, Mithiani, Bhirya, Bhirya Road, Padidan, Darya Khan Mari, Tharushah, Halani, Mehrabpur it continued to rain on Saturday, causing drainage system to collapse.

It rained lightly in Mirpurkhas, Badin, Talhar, Tando Bago, Matli, Tando Mohammad Khan and coastal areas of Badin.