Pak: Flash floods kill 50, displace more than 400,000

Quetta (Pakistan), June 29: More than 400,000 people have been displaced by cyclone and flash floods this week as heavy to moderate rainscontinue to lash Pakistan's Balochistan province.

In the Northwestern Frontier Province (NWFP), at least 56 people died of torrential rains and flash floods.

Dawn newspaper quoted local officials as saying that nine people died in Harnai and Turbat districts yesterday with rainfall hindering a massive rescue and relief operation launched by the army and the paramilitary Frontier Corps in the worst-affected areas.

Troops were carrying out rescue and relief work and helicopters were evacuating marooned people to safer places.

Hill torrents triggered by torrential rain wreaked havoc in Chagai and Naushki districts, disrupting rail and road communication between Quetta and Zahidan and causing breaches in the main railway line.

Local officials confirmed the death of three people in Harnai when Nari River devastated the downstream area in Kachhi plains, mainly in Jhal Magsi and Jaffarabad.

The Mula River was also in high flood following intermittent rains in its catchment area of Khuzdar and Kalat districts. Paddy and cotton crops were under more than two feet of water in Jhal Magsi and Jaffarabad. Some breaches have occurred in the Right Bank Outfall Drain, damaging crops in the area.

The worst affected area had been Turbat where six deaths were confirmed yesterday. More rain had been forecast for the region.

There was no traffic between Karachi and Quetta, Khuzdar and Shahdad Kot, Quetta and Sibi and Jacobabad, Quetta and Naushki, Naushki and Taftan, Karachi and Turbat, and Karachi and Gwadar because all roads have been washed away or damaged.

Hundreds of electricity poles have either fallen or have been swept away by rain or flash floods in major parts of Balochistan, plunging almost the entire province into darkness.

The power house in Pasni is under water and flash floods have damaged equipment, local residents said, adding that it would be very difficult for the government to restore power supply soon because all the infrastructure had been destroyed.

In areas where a relief operation could not be launched because of floods and inclement weather, helicopters were being used to drop food and other goods.

Four C-130 military transport planes rushed relief goods, including food to Turbat and Gwadar while eight helicopters were used for rescue work.

Pakistan Army helicopters rescued more than 45,000 people from the Turbat region. More than 1,000 people were rescued from the coastal region.

Addressing a press conference at the Quetta Club, Brigadier Mir Waqar said the main objectives of the relief operation was to rescue the marooned people, provide them adequate relief and rehabilitate them.

The province's home secretary said commandos had reached Turbat by navy helicopters and rescued 22 people who had taken refuge on the roof of a partly inundated mosque in the Solband area. Troops also rescued several thousand people from Methari and other areas of Bolan, Sibi, Nasirabad and Jaffarabad districts, he added.

Torrential rains triggered flash floods and landslides, killing at least 56 people in the NWFP.

Reports received from Peshawar say that flash floods killed at least 23 people in the Khyber Agency yesterday.

An official said about 15 people were killed in the remote Tirah Valley of the same agency.

Several houses and small bridges on the Peshawar-Torkham road in Jamrud and Landi Kotal tehsils of the Khyber agency were washed away.

The road to Afghanistan was blocked for several hours.

A house collapsed in the Sultankhel area of Landi Kotal town, killing eight Afghans of the same family, including three children.

In Zakhakhel area, three people were killed when two houses caved in while three children lost their lives after a truck overturned.

Officials said three bodies were found in a water course near Ali Masjid area where flash flood damaged several houses. Hill torrents swept away several shops in the Landi Kotal Bazaar. A private school and a seminary were also damaged.

A house collapsed in Badhber area of Peshawar, killing a child.

Landslides were reported from various areas in Manshera and Battagram districts.

Officials said that the road between Kaghan Highway was blocked at Lambi Dehsri while landslides blocked link roads in the Allai area.

An official said that River Kunhar was in high flood at Garhi Habibullah. Sirean River was flooded.

The flood warning centre of the hydrology division in Peshawar said several rivers, including Kabul River, were in high flood. A bulletin issued yesterday said Kabul River at Adezai Bridge was flooded with a discharge level of 44,338 cusecs. Shah Alam, a tributary of the Kabul River, was also in high flood.

UNI