Disaster management authorities are bracing for another spell of torrential rains, mainly in Sindh and Balochistan, in the prediction of a “vigorous monsoon” as rain hit parts of Balochistan, causing another wave of flash floods in the southwestern province on Thursday.
The alert released by the National Disaster Management Authority was provoked by a notification issued by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), which anticipated “strong weather activity” over the coming three days in Karachi, Hub Dam catchment areas, and the Arabian Sea.
The present spell of monsoon rains, which has taken more than 160 lives when it started earlier this month, also caused four more deaths on Thursday, three in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one in Gilgit-Baltistan.
According to the rescue officials, one person was killed and 13 others in GB, people of Swat were injured when a van skidded off a slippery road near Babusar Pass, while in districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, three people drowned.
Moreover, reports from Balochistan presented a bleak picture as the northern and central areas of the province faced infrastructural damages because of the torrential rains.
Read more: Heavy monsoon rainfall expected across Pakistan on Eidul Azha
Several cities and towns of the province remained cut off from Quetta and other district headquarters owing to flooding.
In this regard, the local authorities have closed the highway connecting Quetta with Sukkur after Bolan, Nari, and other rivers flooded and caused huge damage to the highway near Bolan.
While taking the precautionary measure, Sibi deputy commissioner, Mansoor Qazi, said, “We have decided to close the road for overnight traveling as floodwater damaged the highway at different points.”
Meanwhile, the irrigation officials also stated that the catchment areas of Bolan, Nari, and other seasonal rivers were experiencing heavy monsoon rains in Ziarat, Duki, Harnai, and Sanjavi towns.
The areas of Dera Bugti and Kohlu were also receiving torrential rains which overflowed the Lehri River and seasonal streams.
In order to handle the disastrous situation in the country, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the NDMA head to increase the presence of officials in the flood-affected areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan as he pledged Rs 1 million to the families of the people killed due to rainfall after a joint survey.
Furthermore, the Punjab PDMA notified that the rain spell will continue for the coming four days.
