QUETTA: At least 20 people have been reported dead in rain-related accidents as several districts of Balochistan received monsoon downpour with strong winds over the past 24 hours.
According to officials, the dead included six women from the same family in Quetta. The women were killed when the wall of their makeshift house collapsed due to rain and strong winds.
According to their family members, two women succumbed to their injures as there were no arrangements to move them to a hospital. The family belongs to the Jaffarabad area of Balochistan and came to Quetta for the summer.
Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) officials said that four bodies were recovered from floodwaters accumulated at the Eastern Bypass, Kharotabad and other areas.
Emergency declared in Quetta; several districts still in darkness as Qesco feeders go offline
The Balochistan government has immediately declared an emergency in Quetta district.
According to the officials, over 50 mud houses collapsed in Sariab Mills area, Eastern Bypass and other areas on the outskirts.
In a separate accident, the body of one of the two girls who drowned in a deep pond in Bhosa Mandi area last night was recovered by PDMA divers, while the other could not be found despite passage of 24 hours.
The PDMA was informed by police about the missing girls which then launched a search operation on Tuesday.
The body of another man who drowned in a small dam located in Gang Shakri area on the outskirts of Quetta was also recovered.
Two women were killed in Dasht area in Mastung district when a wall of their house collapsed.
In Kech discticts, three children drowned in a seasonal stream in Mand area close to Pakistan-Iran border. The stream was carrying flash flood after heavy rains in Nand and Iran’s border area.
Five coal miners were swept away in a seasonal nullah. However, the locals saved two of them, while three others drowned in the gushing water.
Another man was found dead after being swept away by flash flood in Kartak area of Bolan district.
Heavy rains have been lashing parts of Nasirabad, Jaffarabad, Sibi, Ziarat, Harnai, Barkhan, Loralai, Lasbela, Kohlu, Dera Bugti, Awaran, Noshki and Chagai districts where the local administration has geared up to deal with any emergency situation.
One person drowned in rain water in Naal area of Khuzdar district whose body was recovered by Levies personnel. The rain also damaged a large number of solar panels in Khuzdar and adjoining areas.
Turbat, Panjgur, Pasni, Ormara and other areas of Makran division also received heavy monsoon rains. However, no major loss of lives was reported from these areas so far. In Gwadar, army troops were helping the local administration to drain the water accumulated in several areas.
Heavy rains have also damaged infrastructure in Wadh, Sarona, Hub, Uthal and Bela areas. The commissioner of Kalat division deployed the staff of irrigation department at the Poroli river due to flooding.
As the rain persisted, several districts plunged into darkness last night due to the tripping of major Qesco feeders. According to Qesco officials, the supply has been partially restored in Quetta and its surrounding areas, while work is underway to fully restore the power.
The authorities have been placed on high alert as the Met department forecast more rain in the next three days. Army, FC and Levies forces have also been put on high alert to deal with emergency situations.
Behram Baloch, Abdul Wahid Shahwani and Ali Jan Mangi also contributed to this report
Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2022
