QUETTA: A driver drowned when his truck was swept away by floodwater and hundreds of mud houses collapsed as daylong torrential rain battered different parts of Balochistan on Saturday.

Heavy rain lashed Quetta, playing havoc with the drainage system in the provincial capital and leading to collapse of dozens of mud houses in Sariab, Qambrani Road, Hazarganji and Kechi Baig areas.

“Three people suffered injuries as the roofs and walls of their houses collapsed in different localities. They were taken to hospital,” a district administration official said.

Floodwater coming from mountains surrounding the city inundated its various areas. The city’s drainage system was unable to cope with the heavy amount of water because the main drains have been choked with garbage dumped into them.

The sewerage network overflowed and the city’s roads and streets were filled with water. Rainwater and sewage entered houses and shops.

An official said the Quetta Metropolitan Corporation had 1,000 sanitary workers but not all of them were available to drain out rainwater accumulated in several areas.

“About 450 sanitary workers are permanent residents of Pishin, Muslim Bagh, Chaman and other districts. They do not perform their duty in Quetta but draw their salaries regularly,” he said.

Those workers had been recruited on the recommendation of political leaders, he added.

About 300 sanitary workers were working at the bungalows of government officials and only 250 served the provincial capital having a population of over three million, he said.

“A number of families are sitting in the open after their houses collapsed but the departments concerned have taken no steps to provide them relief,” a man said.

Reports reaching here said the driver drowned when his truck plying on the National Highway was swept away by floodwater in Bolan area.

The body was recovered and taken to a hospital in Machh.

Rain also wrecked havoc in different districts of the province — including Barkhan, Kohlu, Harnai, Mastung, Kalat, Awaran, Kharan and Kachhi Bolan — causing hundreds of mud houses to collapse.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority said in a statement that it had sent rescue teams and relief goods to Barkhan and Musakhel. The relief goods included 100 tents, 100 rice bags, 13 bags of pulses and 13 bags of dates.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2014