QUETTA, Feb 28: The provincial government declared an emergency in Quetta on Monday after heavy rains and hailstorm wreaked havoc in the provincial capital, its slums and northern and eastern parts of the province, inundating low-lying areas and turning all main roads into ponds with several feet of water standing on them.

The rain began late on Sunday night when a fresh westerly system entered Balochistan from Iran. It rained intermittently all day and well past Monday midnight.

All seasonal nullahs passing through the city overflowed and several feet of rainwater accumulated on all main roads and streets of the provincial capital, badly disrupting traffic.

No casualty was, however, reported from any part of the province.

Floodwaters coming from mountains surrounding the metropolis, including Koh Murdar, entered dozens of houses in downstream areas, forcing the people to move to safe places.

Several people were forced to abandon their vehicles on roads as rainwater entered their vehicles.

The heavy rains and flash floods also damaged dozens of mud-houses in slums of Quetta.

Quetta Division Commissioner Muhammad Naseem Lehri visited different areas of city along with other officials and asked people living in slums to move to safe places.

Reports reaching here from other parts of the province said that hundreds of mud-houses had been damaged by heavy rains. According to Met Office, Quetta had received 23mm of rain on Monday. It has predicted more torrential rains and snowfall on mountains over the next 48 hours.

“Most of the seasonal rivers in Bolan, Sibi, Kachhi and other areas are in heavy flood, triggered by heavy rains in catchments areas,” an official of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority told Dawn.

Chief Minister Aslam Raisani ordered authorities concerned to immediately launch relief work in Quetta and other parts of the province. He ordered the use of heavy machinery to drain out water from the city and other areas.

He also ordered that an emergency centre be set up to monitor and deal with rain-related problems. Mr Raisani appointed Quetta Commissioner as the focal person for the purpose.

He also ordered Provincial Disaster Management Authority to ensure provision of food and tents to people affected by rains.

APP adds: The Commissioner said there was a flood-like situation in Shah Zaman Street, Chaman Railway Cross, Joint Road, Wahdat Colony, some areas of Sariab and other low-lying areas of the provincial capital.

He said all police stations had been put on red alert.

Heavy flash floods washed away the only make-shift bridge connecting Bolan district with the rest of the country, triggering a traffic jam and stranding hundreds of people on both sides of the bridge.

Authorities had temporarily restored traffic in the area by building a make-shift bridge after the main bridge on the Bolan River had been damaged by floods in 2007.

However, recent rains and subsequent floods washed away the make-shift bridge on Monday.

A landslide near Mach blocked the National Highway at Peer Gaza area of the district.

Weather pundits forecast widespread rains in Balochistan on Tuesday and Wednesday could cause floods in rivers and streams of upper and central parts of the province.