Incessant Rain Triggers Landslides and Floods in Balochistan, Killing Eight

Incessant Rain Triggers Landslides and Floods in Balochistan, Killing Eight. REUTERS/Mohsin Raza TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Dil Bar Irshad | July 1, 2024 | 11:16 PM IST | Floods/Landslides/Event, Pakistan News, World | Follow on Google News

Incessant Rain Triggers Landslides and Floods in Balochistan, Killing Eight

Incessant Rain Triggers Landslides and Floods in Balochistan, Killing Eight

Key Highlights:

1. Casualties and Injuries: Eight dead, 24 injured due to heavy rains.
2. Landslide Impact: Blocked Zhob-Dera Ismail Khan Highway causes traffic jams.
3. Rescue Operations: Efforts underway to clear debris and restore road access.

Incessant rain has wreaked havoc in Balochistan, Pakistan, causing at least eight fatalities, 24 injuries, and damage to 300 mud houses between Friday and Saturday, according to Dawn. The heavy downpour in the Suleman mountain range also triggered a landslide between the Danasar and Dera Ismail Khan areas in Sherani district, severely disrupting traffic on the Zhob-Dera Ismail Khan Highway.

The torrential rains impacted several areas, including Zhob, Sherani, Qila Saifullah, Barkhan, Musakhail, and Loralai, blocking a major section of the National Highway linking Quetta with Islamabad. This blockage resulted in significant traffic bottlenecks, leaving hundreds of passenger vehicles, including coaches, buses, cars, and trucks, stranded on both sides of the highway.

Sana Mahjabeen, the deputy commissioner of Sherani district, reported that during the highway closure, food and water were provided to the stranded individuals by the district administration. Local authorities and Levies Force were dispatched to Danasar to commence operations to clear the boulders and mud from the highway. Traffic was halted to facilitate the uninterrupted removal process.

Rescue teams from the National Highway Authority (NHA) also arrived at the scene to assist in restoring traffic. An NHA spokesperson stated, “We immediately shifted heavy machinery to the Danasar area to remove boulders and mud to restore traffic on the highway as soon as possible. A big chunk of the highway has been adversely affected as the Suleman Range is still receiving heavy rainfall, increasing the possibility of more landslides in the area.”

In Barkhan, three people died when their house roof collapsed during the rain. Two additional deaths were reported from the Sui area of Dera Bugti district. Another man was electrocuted in Dera Bugti, and two others perished in Khuzdar and Jhal Magsi in rain-related incidents.

Source: Dawn

Dil Bar Irshad

Dil Bar Irshad is a seasoned journalist, hails from Jammu Kashmir's Doda, covers political, social, business stories, index stories.