QUETTA: Freezing temperatures, heavy snowfall and rain lashings have brought much misery to the residents of most districts in Balochistan as seven people died in weather-related incidents on Wednesday, 20 mud houses collapsed and 50 others were reported damaged.

Another two deaths were reported from Shangla district in Khyber Pakhtun­khwa.

The punishing weather, brought about by the cold front of a westerly wave, is expected to persist till Sunday, the Met Office said.

A flurry of storms lashed most parts of the country on Wednesday, swelling river tributaries in Balochistan. A car carrying six people in Sherani district slid into a ravine after the driver lost control of the vehicle. All passengers died while three others were injured.

A woman was killed in the Azizabad area of Balochistan after her mud house collapsed.

Shangla district experienced heavy snowfall for the fifth day. A heavy tra­nsmission line fell on a house in the Malak Khel Kotkay area, killing two people, adds our Shangla correspondent.

Published in Dawn January 26th, 2017