Nine die as more rains, floods lash parts of country
Pakistan
Heavy showers also cause property losses, trigger landslides
QUETTA/MANSEHRA (Web Desk) – At least nine people, including women and children, lost their lives as torrential rains lashed several parts of the country during the last 24 hours.
According to officials, three girls drowned when they fell into a flooded watercourse at a village in Sohbatpur district in Balochistan. The bodies were fished out and handed over to the family.
A 12-year-old girl was swept away by floodwaters in Jhal Magsi area, while a man died in Khuzdar when lightning struck him during heavy rain and thunderstorm.
In Mansehra district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, four people, including three children, were killed when roof of a house caved in due to incessant rains. The incident took place in a suburban village of Mansehra district.
Flooding in streams across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was witnessed on Thursday as heavy rainfall continued to lash parts of the province.
In Lower Dir, rain drains of Talash Bazaar, Shamshi Khan and GT Road were once again flooded. The Peshawar Highway was also closed for all types of traffic, causing severe difficulties to commuters.
The monsoon rains also lashed Tangi tehsil, causing river streams to overflow. Moreover, rainwater entered shops in Tangi Nusratzai Bazaar.
Rains also caused landslides in Swabi near Bagnar on Beer Gali Road in the remote hilly area of Gadoon Amazai.
Due to landslides, access to Kala Dhaka, Nara Amazai and Beer Gali areas was blocked.
Heavy showers also caused property losses in several areas of Balochistan. Road link of the province with Karachi, Punjab and other parts of Sindh could not be restored despite the passage of 48 hours, forcing the authorities concerned to prepare alternative ways on Bolan and Hub rivers.
Quetta and surrounding areas also received heavy rain, suspending power supply and disrupting internet service. The provincial capital remained without electricity for several hours while there is no power supply in surrounding areas. Officials of the Quetta Electric Supply Company said some grids tripped owing to rain.
Heavy rains, accompanied by thunderstorm, continued to lash the northern, central and southern parts of the province causing flash floods in the mountainous areas. With their catchment areas continuously receiving showers, Bolan, Nai Gaj, Teli, Mola, Lehri and other seasonal rivers were flowing in flood.
Reports said floodwater entered some villages close to the river in the Sibi area, forcing the residents to leave their houses for safe places. Many mud houses were damaged in Sibi, Nasirabad, Mashkel, Washuk, Jhal Magsi and some other areas. The district administration was helping the affected families move to safe places.
Technical staff, along with their colleagues from irrigation and other departments, were strengthening the dykes around Sibbi to protect the town from flood as the Nari and other rivers passing through the area were carrying floodwater.
The rivers bursting their banks have also affected the efforts for restoring the road link between Mach and Sibi through Pinjra bridge. Traffic on the Hub-Karachi road was suspended and could not be restored till Wednesday night.
Hub River received more floodwater as the catchment area was receiving heavy rains. Officials said the Hub dam was filled up to 337 feet against its capacity of 339.
PDMA warns of urban flooding due to heavy rains in Punjab
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab has warned of urban flooding due to heavy rains in Punjab.
Spokesman for the PDMA has issued directives to the administration to remain high alert and advised people to stay away from rivers and other watercourses as water level is rising due to heavy rains.
The PDMA said heavy rains may cause flash flooding in local nullahs of Dera Ghazi Khan, northeast and south Balochistan (Quetta, Zhob, Qila Saifullah, Ziarat, Barkhan, Kohlu, Sherani, Harnai, Bolan, Loralai, Khuzdar, Lasbela, Kech, Turbat, Panjgur, Awaran and surrounding areas) during the next 24 hours.
Heavy rains may cause urban flooding in low lying areas of Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Charsadda, Mardan, Nowshera, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Narowal, Sialkot, Lahore, Kasur and Faisalabad from July 27-28 and may trigger landslides in the vulnerable areas of Murree, Galliyat, Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the period.
Rain-wind/thundershower expected in KP, Kashmir, GB, Punjab, ICT, Balochistan, Sindh
Rain-wind/thundershower is expected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Punjab, Pothohar region, Islamabad, eastern & lower Balochistan and upper Sindh during the next twelve hours.
Heavy falls are likely to occur in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, Islamabad, upper Punjab, Pothohar region and eastern Balochistan during the forecast period.
Temperature of some major cities recorded this morning:
Islamabad twenty-five degree centigrade, Lahore twenty-six, Karachi twenty-nine, Peshawar twenty-seven, Quetta twenty-two, Gilgit twenty, Murree seventeen, and Muzaffarabad twenty-three degree centigrade.
According to weather forecast of Met Office for Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, cloudy weather with chances of rain-wind and thundershower is expected in Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Shopian, Baramula, Pulwama and Anantnag.
Temperature recorded on Thursday morning: Srinagar 21 degree centigrade, Jammu 2, Leh 14, Pulwama and Baramula 20, Anantnag and Shopian 19 degree centigrade.
