Torrential rains continued in Sindh and other parts of the country, claiming 29 lives in just two days.
According to a private TV channel, six people, including five children died in rain-related incidents in Sindh. Dadu, Johi, Mehar, KN Shah, Sita Road, Kachoo, Bhan Saeed and other towns were lashed by torrential rains, submerging urban and rural areas under two to six feet of water.
The 15-foot breach in Chinjani branch at village Bakhsh Ali and 20-foot breach in Sanjrani branch at village Goth Phanwar caused by the storm inundated standing crops spread over hundreds of acres of land. Mud houses in New Colony, Farid Colony and Brohi Mohalla caved in, as the affected people took refuge in schools and government buildings.
In Khairpur, Bakar Shah and Sura, embankments breached by flashfloods coming from Nara hills washed away several areas rendering thousands homeless, while Taluka Headquarter Chowandko was in danger of being inundated. Over 200 villages of Badin district were inundated by rain water and two children died of epidemic disease while scores of houses caved-in in the rural areas. The heavy rain spell in Kashmore and Kandhkot once again aggravated the situation and a husband and wife were injured in a roof collapse in Madiji area of Shikarpur, while their three children died.
A woman died and another person was injured when their roof collapsed in Nausehro Feroze.
Larkana, Qambar, Shahdadkot and Thatta were being lashed by heavy downpour intermittently for the last four days.
People of Mirpur took to the streets as water from the Mangla Dam started entering their houses. The protesters demanded that the water level in Mangla Dam be brought down. Some of the protesters also resorted to aerial firing.
In North Waziristan, rivers and tributaries overflowed causing a flood-like situation in the area. Two vehicles were washed away while on way to Tank from Kashmircut of South Waziristan.
In Punjab, Haroonabad and surrounding areas were inundated by heavy downpour and storm. Darak Lehar River in Dera Ghazi Khan was still flooded, while communication remained suspended in Fazla Kach. Khairpur DCO Abbas Baloch said the gushing rain water had inundated 50 villages.
Power supply to different areas is suspended, posing serious problems for the people.
Meanwhile, two children died after drowning in Lohianwala on Thursday. Asif, 10 and his cousin Asim, 8, were playing in rainwater when they reached an adjacent pond and drowned.
Warning: The Met Office has warned of more widespread heavy rain in Sindh, southern Punjab and eastern parts of Balochistan during the next three days.
Very heavy rains would cause more flooding in Sindh and flashfloods in DG Khan and Balochistan in the next three days.
PM’s instructions: Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani telephoned Faryal Talpur to get firsthand information about the affected areas in interior Sindh. Later, he instructed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to immediately start relief work in the affected areas.
