12 more die in Sindh floods

KARACHI/DADU/SUKKUR: At least 12 people, including four children, died in floods in Sindh during the last 24 hours, taking the total death toll in the province to 621 on Saturday.

A small bridge collapsed on the Bhan Saeedabad-Johi Link Road after which floodwaters crossed the Ring Road of Dadu. On the other hand, disaster was averted in Johi city after a breach, created by unidentified men, was plugged, sources in the irrigation department said.

The breach, which was created in the Johi Branch canal, caused pressure on the canal’s ring dyke, which could have submerged the nearby homes. However, residents from nearby areas rushed to the site and attempted to plug the breach through their own resources, according to Geo News. Authorities have also breached the Larkana-Sehwan bund to prevent floodwaters from entering Dadu.

In another incident, floods resulted in a breach in the Dal branch and floodwaters entered a grid station in Bhan Saeedabad and hit the city’s ring dykes. A large number of people gathered there and tried to strengthen its embankments.

Read more: Flood swamps rural Sindh: ‘Nobody knows where their village is gone’

The water level in Sindh’s two barrages is decreasing rapidly, though, a high flood is currently passing through the Kotri Barrage. Floodwater is overflowing at some points at the Kotri Barrage. Meanwhile, diversions made in Manchhar Lake have not worked as the water level in the Indus River rose and the lake’s water began to flow backward instead of going into the river.

The Indus Link drain near Tilti has cracked due to the pressure of the lake water, posing a threat to Bhan Saeedabad, while the displacement of citizens continues. Strong water flows from the Manchhar Lake have caused destruction, affecting more than 150,000 people in more than 500 villages in seven union councils of Sehwan.

While the Pakistan army continues its rescue efforts in affected areas, there are many locations where people are still trapped in water. A 150-km stretch of land from Qamber Shahdadkot to the Manchhar Lake is completely submerged and hundreds of villages in Khairpur Nathan Shah, Wara tehsils, Sujawal and Dadu tehsils are submerged in water.

On the other hand, bogies of a relief train derailed between the Budapur Railway Station and Khaot as a result of water on the track.

Read more: Sindh facing humanitarian crisis with 10.48m people affected by floods, CM tells US delegation

Meanwhile, flood affected in a tent city at Sehwan are suffering from dengue and skin diseases. A child died in his mother’s lap on Saturday. The woman told the media that her child had been sick for a few days but his condition deteriorated on Saturday. “Soldiers arranged for a rickshaw to take my son to hospital. The doctor treated him after which he complained about difficulty in breathing. However, the doctor told me the boy was alright and asked me to take him back. He died in my arms on the way back to the camp,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority has issued a new notification according to which it has been decided to close the Nawabshah Airport till September 25. According to the CAA, the airfield of Nawabshah airport has been submerged in rainwater, leaving it unusable for flight operations.

Therefore, the aerodrome of the airport will remain closed till September 25. The notification said that due to floodwaters and stormy rains, there is still several feet of water on the runway and its lights are also likely to have been damaged due to the standing water.

The Al-Khidmat Foundation (AKF) rehabilitated 124 drinking water schemes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and accelerated the restoration of other schemes including houses and mosques in flooded areas, said a spokesman.

He said that the purpose of the initiative was to provide clean drinking water to people of flood affected areas in Dir Upper, Swat and Charsadda and then fully focus on the rehabilitation of destroyed houses and other properties. The rehabilitation of the schemes cost over Rs2 million, he added.