First winter rain, hailstorm in Quetta, other cities cause damage

QUETTA: The provincial capital and many towns and cities of northern Balochistan received the first winter rains, along with a hailstorm on Friday, dropping the mercury further. A man, identified as Master Abdul Qadir, was killed when lightning struck the Chashma Kanbi area of tehsil Zehri of Khuzdar district during heavy rain with thunderstorm in the area.

The heavy rain caused urban flooding in Sariab Road, Wahdat Colony, Pashtunabad, Brewery Road, Joint Road, Railway Colony, Huda, Jail Road and many other localities of Quetta, and surrounding areas. The rainwater entered dozens of houses, forcing people to flee their homes and take shelter at safer places. Many mud-houses were damaged in the outskirts of the provincial capital.

Almost all roads in Quetta city were flooded with rainwater as drains and sewerage systems overflowed and filthy water was flowing on roads.

Quetta divisional commissioner, who is also administrator of Quetta Metropolitan Corporation, Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat, soon after receiving information about unban flooding reached different rain-affected areas along with water pumps and sanitary workers and other officials of the corporation. Water pumps started de-watering the area where rainwater had accumulated, while sanitary staff launched work to clear the areas in the main city.

Heavy rains with thunderstorm was also reported in Chaman, Qila Saifullah, Loralai, Qila Abdullah, Pishin, Ziarat, Duki, Zhob, Khanozai, Muslim Bagh, Qila Abdullah, Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar, Noshki and many other towns and cities of the province. Reports reaching here from other areas suggested that road communication was badly affected in some areas of northern Balochistan, which disrupted traffic at Zhob-Dera Ismail Khan, Loralai-Dera Ghazi Khan and Quetta-Chaman highways. Collapsing of mid-houses was also reported from different areas.