Heavy rain leaves three dead, one injured in Kharan

KHARAN/GWADAR: The relentless rain in Rakshan division of Kharan district on Friday resulted in a tragic incident, claiming the lives of three individuals while leaving one injured after a mud house collapsed.

According to district officials, the deceased were identified as Sahiba, 17, Abbas Ali, 12, and Rafiya, 5, with their father Elahi Buksh sustaining injuries in the incident.

The injured individual has been swiftly transported to the hospital, with Levies personnel conducting rescue operations to extract the family from the debris.

Similarly, heavy rainfall wreaked havoc in Gwadar, Kech district, and other parts of Balochistan, disrupting daily life and traffic along the coastal highway and severing connectivity with the Iran border.

Gwadar’s marine drive suffered damage, with several schools partially affected. Additionally, the inundation of water disrupted interconnectivity within the city.

Officials from the Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) told HUM News English that six connectivity roads were rendered unusable, over eighty speedboats were destroyed by heavy winds, and hundreds of houses and walls succumbed to flooding.

A GDA official revealed to Hum News English that cellular networks in Gwadar are also experiencing disruptions as their systems rely on solar power, with equipment being swept away by the water.

Rescue operations are ongoing, with numerous families relocated to safe shelters and provisions being made for their basic needs.

Furthermore, the district administration has declared an emergency in the port city, with the Secretary of Health instructing authorities to ensure the provision of healthcare services in affected areas.

Caretaker Chief Minister Balochistan, Ali Mardan Domki, announced that machinery and equipment have been dispatched to Gwadar to facilitate traffic flow as water levels recede.

Earlier this month, traffic flow was disrupted in the city when a crucial bridge connecting Gwadar to Quetta was destroyed by heavy water flow.

Meanwhile, Khudadad Baloch, a local resident and member of the Pakistan People’s Party, expressed grave concerns to Hum News English, stating that Mula Faqeer Colony, the Old Town and GDA Colony in Gwadar are completely submerged, with other areas like the New Town facing partial inundation.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the ongoing rescue operations, Khudadad lamented the lack of official assistance, noting that local residents have been relying on each other for support. He highlighted the widespread destruction, with vehicles and homes submerged in water.

Khudadad emphasized the heroic efforts of locals in rescuing children and women, underscoring the urgent need for essential supplies such as rations, drinking water, tents, and medicines.

Painting a grim picture of the situation, Khudadad criticized the absence of crisis management mechanisms from both the GDA and district administration, leaving people to fend for themselves during this dire time. He noted that individuals were taking it upon themselves to address water flow issues, bearing the financial burden alone.

In addition to the challenges faced in Gwadar, the transportation of goods and passenger vehicles in Washuk district’s bordering area of Mashkail was severely hampered, with vehicles stranded on muddy roads posing risks to both traffic flow and the safety of individuals.

Moreover, reports of snowfall and rainfall have emerged from various regions including Quetta, Killa Abdullah, Killa Saifullah, Musakhail, Chaghi district, Noshki, Panjgur, Kech, Pashin, Ziarat, and Chaman, further exacerbating the challenges faced by local communities.