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Thousands rendered homeless by flood in Balochistan |
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QUETTA: The death toll in flash floods unleashed by torrential rains in Barkhan area of Balochistan rose to 50 on Friday.
Thousands of people were rendered homeless in Barkhan, Kohlu and Sibi and aid and rescue work was affected because of long distances and damaged roads. “About 50 people have died in two days in flood and rain-related incidents in Barkhan,” Hassan Baloch, director general of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, told Dawn. He said that a joint operation by the army, Frontier Corps and the provincial government was under way to shift the affected people to safe areas.
Train services from Balochistan to other parts of the country remained suspended for a second straight day as the flood damaged railway track on five points in Bakhtiarabad area of Sibi district. “We have decided to suspend the service for two more days,” a railway official told Dawn. “The service will resume after repairs of the railway track in Sibi.”
The army sent four helicopters with foodstuffs, drinking water and medicines from Quetta to the affected areas after the improvement of weather.
The PDMA dispatched 13 trucks of relief goods for the affected people. Over five dozen villages were submerged in Nasirabad district and Bakhtiarabad area of Lehri tehsil. A large number of people were rendered homeless after their homes were washed away by the torrential rains which hit most parts of Balochistan, including Sibi, Dera Bugti, Kohlu and Barkhan.
“Flood and rains marooned about 28,000 people in Sibi and 50 in Theher area of Lehri”, Sibi Deputy Commissioner Shahid Saleem told Dawn. He said the administration had provided food to 50 affected people. Officials said that flood water had entered houses, forcing people to take refuge at high places. Rabi canal, near Dera Murad Jamali, has been breached at some places,” Deputy Chairman Senate Mir Jan Mohammad Khan Jamali said. Although no loss of life was reported, flood water coming from Lehri river played havoc in the area. “Flood water is now moving to Pat feeder canal and would breach the main canal if immediate measures are not taken,” an official said, adding that the water coming from hilly areas of Dera Bugti destroyed 50 villages in Lehri and 12 in Nasirabad.
“Hundreds of houses were washed away in Bakhtiarabad and Lehri,” Manthar Mangi, an eyewitness who visited the two areas, told Dawn. The officials said the flood had devastated Qoba Sher Khan area, where people have lost their valuables, ration and livestock.
Sources said that thousands of people were living in the open, especially on the bank of Rabi canal. They said that the Uchh power plant could also comer under flood water if Rabi canal developed a breach.
Irrigation department officials said that heavy machinery had been brought to the affected area to meet any situation. “We are ready to meet any situation,” Hazrat Ali Kakar, Nasirabad Deputy Commissioner, said.
Courtesy by The Dawn
Posted on 24-July-2010
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