QUETTA: Heavy monsoon rains with strong winds continued across the province, claiming 11 more deaths and causing flash floods which washed away at least three dams and rendered hundreds of families homeless in different areas of Balochistan on Thursday.

The death toll in rain and flood related incidents reached 54 during the last four days while over 50 people were injured in different areas of the province. The victims of the flood and rains also include women and children mostly swept away in the flash flood.

Five people including a woman were swept away in the flash flood water in Pishin district. They were traveling in a vehicle which was swept away in the flood. Their bodies were recovered by the rescue workers and security people. The woman’s body was found in Band Khushdil Khan which also fills up after receiving heavy rains. The official of the Pishin administration said that hundreds of mud houses were washed away or badly damaged in Malikyar, Don-Khanozai and Sheikhmalzai areas of Pishin as the flash flood coming from hilly areas of Burshor lashed the area.

The situation in the Khusnob area of Qila Saifullah was further worsening as flash floods and rains destroyed hundreds of houses downstream of the mountain. Hundreds of families were displaced and were shifted to tents erected by the local administration and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). “We have shifted over 3,000 people in 470 tents who have become homeless,” Qila Saifullah Assistant Commissioner Liaquat Kakar said, adding that Loy-Band (Dam) was broken in the area.

Official sources said that massive damages were also reported in Muslim Bagh area where not only agriculture field was badly affected but large number of solar panels and bridges were also damaged. A dam called Nika dam was broken in the flash flood that also washed away link roads in the area and suspended connectivity between Nasai and Murgha-Fiqarzai. The seasonal river, which was carrying high flood water eroded Muslim Bagh-Toba road.

“An under-construction Dara Jalal Khanzai dam was washed away in the flash flood that caused massive damages in nearby villages,” Zakaullah Durrani, assistant commissioner Muslim Bagh said, adding that two deaths were also reported in the area. He said that local administration along with levies and PDMA were making efforts to shift affected families to safe places.

Read more: Karachi rains claim six lives, intensity to decrease from today

Meanwhile, the situation in Makran was also worsening due to heavy rains and flooding. According to reports two bridges were washed away on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) highway between Panjgur and Turbat suspending traffic. “A bridge on the CPEC highway was swept away in the heavy flood water near Balgather and another place between Panjgur and Turbat,” official sources said, adding that heavy rains and flash flood reported in the vast area of Panjgur district while the road network was also affected in other areas of Kech district.

Officials said that four children of a family were killed in Sordu Haji Ghazi in the outskirts of Panjgur town when a wall fell on the children who were playing in front of their home. “The children aged between three to seven years died on the spot as the mud wall was very heavy which collapsed due to continuous rain in the area,” a senior official of the local administration of Panjgur said. The children who lost their lives have been identified as Eiddo, Talal, Shahid and Numan.

According to reports, large numbers of mud houses were destroyed in the heavy rains in Kech, Panjgur and Gwadar districts. All seasonal rivers in Makran were carrying high flood as the catchment areas of these rivers were receiving heavy rains. The water level in Mirani dam near Turbat was increasing while in Gwadar the Ankara Kur and Shadi Kur dams also almost fell up and their spell ways were opened.

Reports coming from other areas suggested that rains continued in Kalat, Khuzdar, Lasbela, Noshki, Dalbandin, Taftan, Kharan, Awaran, Sibi, Bolan, Nasirabad, Jaffarabad, Dera Murad Jamali, Jhal Magsi, Dera Bugti, Kohlu, Loralai, Zhob, Qila Abdullah, Pishin, Musakhail, Barkhan and Qila Saifullah.

High level meeting on rains in Balochistan

High level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo held to review of rain and flood situation in the province and relief activities.

Provincial Minister for Health Syed Ehsan Shah, Advisor on Home Affairs and PPDMA Mir Zia Langau, Chief Secretary Abdul Aziz Aqeeli were also present in the meeting.

Chairman Chief Minister’s Inspection Team Senior MBR, ACS P & D, ACS Home and relevant Departments attended the meeting.

DG PDMA, CEO QESCO, Deputy Commissioner Quetta was also present in the meeting.

Participation in the meeting of Divisional Commissioners through video link.

Briefing the Divisional Commissioners on the damage caused by rains and the current situation while briefing the DG PDMA on relief activities.

The secretary irrigation briefed the meeting on the situation of dams.

Monsoon rains alert was issued but unexpectedly unusual rains are happening in Quetta and other areas, the chief secretary Balochistan said.

Rains in Quetta killed 11 people while a total of 54 people were killed across the province.

The chief minister expressed concern over the damage caused to the dams by the rains. He directed the chief secretary to inquire into the damages of the dams.

The Chief Minister directed to take action against those responsible for poor construction of dams. Relief activities and rehabilitation measures should be further expanded, he directed.

The meeting directed the administration of all the affected districts to survey the losses and submit a report. “Victims are not alone, their losses will be compensated,” he said.

The CM said the government will provide the required funds to compensate for the loss of life and property.