QUETTA, June 6: At least 12 houses and a school-building collapsed as giant tidal waves and strong winds whipped up by Cyclone Gonu battered Sur Bandar, a small coastal township in Gwadar, on Wednesday.

“High tides and strong winds have been lashing the Makran coast since Monday night,” an official told Dawn. He said widespread rains and strong winds had caused extensive damage to government installations and fishing boats over an arc stretching from Jiwani to Gwadar.

Sources said high tides had first hit a six-room government middle school in Sur Bandar and washed it away. “Fifteen houses also came under high tides,” they said, adding that the residents had already moved to safer places.

Agencies add: Over one hundred fishermen went missing as intermittent rain hit the coastal areas of Jati, Shahbundar, Ketibundar and Kharo-chhan.