QUETTA: At least 14 people, among them 12 pilgrims, were swept away by flash flood that hit Shah Noorani and Sakran areas of Lasbela and Khuzdar districts after heavy rains on Wednesday.

The district administrations started rescue work along with Edhi volunteers and retrieved six bodies till late night.

“We have recovered six bodies so far,” said Dr Abdul Hakeem Lasi, a senior official of the Edhi Foundation. He said all the six people whose bodies were recovered belonged to Karachi.

Sources said that a group of pilgrims from Karachi was on their way to the shrine of Pir Hahabat Faqir in Shah Noorani in three vehicles and a rickshaw when flash flood from hills struck them.

“The floodwater swept away three vehicles and the rickshaw,” sources said.

Majority of people travelling in the vehicles survived but 12 people were missing. Later, rescue workers recovered the bodies of four pilgrims from the floodwater.

Official sources said that four persons who came to Hub River area from Karachi for picnic were also swept away by the floodwater that hit Sakran area of Lasbela district.

Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch expressed sorrow and grief over the flood-related deaths. He directed the Provincial Disaster Management Authority and district administrations concerned to take all measures for dealing with expected rains and floods. He told them to shift people living on the banks of seasonal rivers and Nullahs to safe places.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2015

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