Ilyas Kamboh, Syed Ali Shah, Manan Mandokhail:
QUETTA, LASBELA: The death toll in rains-related incidents rose to 111 across Balochistan on Thursday morning. Floods and rains have left over 1000 people injured, this information was given by Chief Secretary Balochistan, Abdul Aziz Uqaili while addressing a press conference at the civil secretariat.
The third monsoon spell has hit hard the Lasbela and Jhal Magsi districts of Balochistan. Almost the entire Lasbela district drowned in flood water. “Floods have made more than 50,000 people homeless in Balochistan”, Mr. Uqaili told reporters.
Aslo Read: Death toll rises to 102 in Balochistan rains
36 children, 32 women were also among the dead
Women, children, and aged people remained the worst sufferers of flash floods unleashed by heavy rainfall in Lasbela, Jhal Magsi, Kech, Khuzdar, Kalat, Killa Abdullah, Killa Saifullah, and other parts of Balochistan. 36 children and 32 women are also among the dead.
“Massive relief and rescue operations launched in affected areas”, the CS mentioned. Pak Army, Frontier Corps (FC), Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), and civil administration have been making hectic efforts to evacuate the stranded people to safer places.
Also Read: The death of 32 children in Balochistan
Standing crops on 200000 acres of land destroyed
Since morning, Pak Army helicopters are assisting the PDMA and civil administration in rescue and relief operations in floods that hit parts of Balochistan, he informed. Floods have destroyed standing crops on over 200000 acre of land and damaged over 6000 houses throughout the province.
#Balochistan’s Mashkail desert turns into a flooding river pic.twitter.com/CnxcmEVLND
— Quetta Voice (@VoiceQuetta) July 28, 2022
Traffic on the Quetta-Karachi highway remained suspended for the fourth consecutive day as floods have swept away most parts of the highway. Thousands of passengers were also stranded and sought refuge in hotels and homes located on the highway.
Passengers suffering on the Quetta-Karachi highway
“No food, no water, and other basic facilities”, Muhammad Ramazan, a passenger stranded in the Bela area of district Lasbela lamented. He said women, children, and ill people remained the worst sufferers because of the continued suspension of traffic.
The passengers also complained about the increasing prices of food items by hotel owners.
“We have stopped heavy traffic for 10 days on the Quetta-Karachi highway”, Mr. Uqaili mentioned. He urged the people to avoid traveling on the highways because of the third spell of monsoon in the province.
When asked about the breaching of dams, he said an inquiry has already been ordered by the provincial government to investigate the construction of dams in Balochistan.
