Khuzdar hit hard: 5 more lives lost as torrential rains sweep away roads

QUETTA: Balochistan’s monsoon toll rises as five more deaths were reported, with flash floods and heavy rains crippling the province. Torrential downpours have severed vital links, isolating villages and cities from Quetta and district headquarters, leaving communities stranded. The death toll according to PMD has risen to 31 ever since the rains started.

The Hub Dam has already been filled while more flood water is reaching from the catchment areas. This caused the management to open the spillways to release extra flood water in the Hub River. “Warning has been issued to the residents of Hub River downstream to shift at safe places,” The Executive Engineer of the Irrigation Department said. He said, “there is no threat to the dam and we are monitoring it around the clock.”

Meanwhile, three children drowned in the Baghbana area of Noghay in Khuzdar district. The children were swimming in the flood water when they were swept away by strong currents. The Levies personnel and rescue workers rescued one while the two others drowned. The third child was shifted to the nearby health facility in serious condition where he also died. According to the officials, two more deaths were reported in the Kakar Khurasan area of Zhob district where two children also lost their lives after being swept away by flash floods in a nearby dam. Another man died in the Qila Abdullah in a similar flood-related incident. With the five more deaths the death toll has reached 10 in the last three days. The PDMA meanwhile confirmed 31 deaths ever since the monsoon season started. This includes 20 children.

Heavy rains continued in Bolan, Sibi, Nasirabad, Jhal Magsi, Khuzdar, Kalat, Qila Saifullah, Chaman, Qila Abdullah, Pishin, Ziarat, Harnai, Sanjavi, Musakhail, Kohlu, Dear Bugti, Loralai, Barkhan, Muslim Bagh and Zhob. Many roads and link roads were damaged during this rainfall. In Qila Saifullah, hundreds of people became homeless after the flash flood damaged their settlements and washed away a large number of mud houses. The local administration said the displaced families were shifted to the teats at three places and were provided relief goods. The flash flood was threatening the Baag town of Kachhi district as the flood water piled pressure on the protection wall of the dike around the town. The local administration was making all-out efforts to protect the town, by strengthening the protection wall.

All rivers were carrying huge flood water as the catchment areas of the Nari, Bolan and other rivers were receiving more rain. “Over 41000 cusecs of flood water was passing through the Nari Rver while Bolan and other rivers were also in high flood,” officials said.