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BADIN, July 28: Thirty five bodies were recovered from the flooded Bedhmi area of Badin district as rain continued to lash different parts of Sindh on Monday.
After a break of 14 hours, heavy rains again lashed Badin and its surrounding areas, resulting in suspension of rescue operation and adding to the miseries of the stranded people.
Thirty-five bodies were recovered from different villages near Behdmi out of which 22 were identified, said a reporter who had gone to the flooded area with Faisal Edhi and reached here on Monday.
He said the villagers had also buried several other bodies at the banks of Sim Nalla.
A man, Haji, son of Jan Mohammad Pathan, died here when lightning struck him.
No figure of total causalities were released by the district administration. However, the death toll is believed to have reached 56.
More villages, including Ashrafabad, Lal Bukhsh Notkani and Allah Jurio, were inundated as a drain near Ashrafabad village developed a breach.
The army rescue teams remained busy in their rescue work and the stranded people were being brought to 50 relief camps.
The identified dead persons included Saleh Lohar, 50, Dost Mohammad Lohar, 3, Hajran, 5, and Saima, 1, of Saleh Lohar village; Ranjha Mallah, Wahid Bukhsh Mallah, Hakeem Mallah, Hassan Mallah, Adam Mallah and Sahibzadi, 3, of Mithu Mallah village; Umer Mallah, 50, Yousuf Mallah, 25, Sajjan Bheel, Qaman Mallah, 25, Zubeda Mallah, Adam Mallah, Sakeena Mallah and Murad Mallah of Umer Mallah village; Mureed Mallah, Yousuf Mallah, Ali Mohammad Mallah and Zahida Mallah of Yousuf Mallah village.
CM VISITS CAMPS: Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Ali Mohammad Mahar visited relief camps here and met the rain-affected people.
He told them that relief would be provided to them till they left for their homes. He warned the officials that no misappropriation would be tolerated in the distribution of relief.
Later, the chief minister told newsmen at Vanai that the prime minister had sanctioned Rs50 million and the Sindh government was collecting money which would be more than Rs50 million for the rain-affected people of Sindh.
He added that he would demand Rs200 million aid from the federal government.
Mr Mahar criticised the irrigation department functionaries and held them responsible for the miseries of the people.
The chief minister was also briefed by Brig Mohsin who said that the talukas of Badin, Shaheed Fazil Rahu and Tando Bago were badly affected by the rains and the worst affected areas were Seerani, Kadhan, Ahmad Rajo and the coastal belt.
He said 300,000 people of the district were affected and 5,000 villages damaged.
The main cause of the trouble, he added, were the breaches in the drains.
Meanwhile, General Officer Commanding, 18-division, Hyderabad, Maj-Gen Mohammad Tariq Masood, visited the relief camps here on Monday.
He said the army was busy in rescue operation and supporting civil administration in this regard.
HYDERABAD: Heavy to moderate rains again lashed Hyderabad city and the adjoining towns, paralyzing civic life and adding to the miseries of the people who are plagued due to collapse of the sewerage and drainage system.
The civic agencies face a formidable task to drain out the rain and gutter water which has accumulated in every nook and corner of Hyderabad.
Due to slime on the roads and accumulation of rain and gutter water, potholes and ditches, driving has become too hazardous.
The Water and Sanitation Agency appears totally helpless in disposing of the rain water as the sewerage lines are choked.
Power breakdowns were also reported from different parts of the city and Saddar sub-division of Hesco was the worst affected area where power supply was suspended for six hours at a stretch.
NAWABSHAH: A man was killed, 40 houses collapsed and telecommunication and power supply system was disrupted due to heavy rains in Nawabshah district on late Sunday night and Monday.
Mohammad Moosa Khaskheli was killed when roof of his house caved in in Bakhshan Katar village.
Ruqayya and Shamim were seriously injured when the roof of their house fell over them in Ashraf Colony.
Allah Bukhsh and Maula Bukhsh Zardari were injured when their house collapsed in Chanesar village.
Several houses also collapsed in Dost Mohammad Mughal, Gup Chhani, Mullah Souran Keerio, Azeemabad and Cheezalabad villages.
More than 300 telephone lines remained out of order due to technical faults.
Power supply to most of the areas also remained suspended.
Nawabshah-Daur road remained blocked for hours as several trees had fallen on it.
KHAIRPUR: The district received rains which lasted for two hours.
Power supply remained suspended in many parts of Khairpur city.
Date crop has also been badly affected by the rains.
MIRPURKHAS: Mirpurkhas district received moderate rainfall on Monday which started at about 4pm and continued till the filing of this report.
Rain also hit Mirwah, Kot Ghulam Mohammad, Sufi Faqir, Kunri, Samaro, Pithoro, Jhurbi, Shadi Palli, Digri, Jhuddo and Samaro.
Owing to heavy rains, farmers have sustained losses as their standing crops of cotton, chili and vegetables have been destroyed.
The rain also disturbed power supply to Mirpurkhas and Digri.
DADU: Different parts of Dadu district received rain on Sunday as a result, power supply and telecommunication system was adversely affected.
FORECAST: The meteorological department has announced that heavy rainfall is expected all over Sindh during the next 48 hours.
