QUETTA, Dec 5: At least seven people were killed in rain-related incidents in Balochistan on Tuesday, while traffic on the RCD and Coastal highways could not be restored.

Quetta valley and parts of northern and southern Balochistan are in grip of severe cold after three days of rain and snowfall.

In Harnai, four members of a family were killed when the roof of their house caved in due to heavy rain. "A woman and her three sons were sleeping in a room when the roof collapsed in the early hours of the day," sources said. The victims were: Asmat Bibi, Mohammad Fahim, Habibur Rehman and Mohammad Javed.

Lal Bibi and her son Mohammad Farid were killed in a similar incident in a village in Kharan. A girl, Humara, was swept away by floodwater in a seasonal nullah in Dalbandin. Her body was recovered later.

Karachi’s road links with Quetta through the RCD Highway and Gwadar through the Coastal Highway could not be restored for the third day. A bridge on Purali river between Wadh and Bela was broken by floodwater.

The Coastal Highway was damaged at at least five places because of heavy flood in Hingol river.

Quetta had a sunny day on Tuesday but chilly winds in the valley kept the minimum temperature at minus 3. 5 degrees Celsius and maximum at eight degrees Celsius. Most of the people in the provincial capitals stayed indoors.

People in the city have been facing problems because of low pressure of Sui gas since the winter begun.

A Sui Southern Gas Company official claimed that the company had increased gas pressure. He said the consumption of gas had increased because of severe cold.