At least five people drowned while 49 were rescued as rains, flash floods hit Balochistan’s Harnai district over the weekend, while flood water from nearby mountains caused severe flooding in Sindh province’s Gaj River in Dadu.
According to the administration in Balochistan’s Harnai district, at least five people have been drowned, while the floods also swept away vehicles coming in their way. However, five cars have been recovered.
Rains caused flooding in canals in Uthal, a city in Balochistan’s Lasbela district. Flood waters entered nearby villages, forcing residents to migrate to safer places. The flood waters also interrupted traffic on Uthal-Lakhra Road.
Meanwhile, flood water from nearby mountains caused severe flooding in Dadu’s Gaj river. The river’s water level has touched 18 ft (maximum level is 27 ft). The Johi Wahi Pandi road was inundated at two places, because of which nearby villages including Drigh Bala and Gorakh hill station lost ground contact with Johi.
Flooding in the Gaj river is also likely to lift water level of Lake Manchar.
Persistent rain has also started to fill up Hub dam. According to the dam’s administration, the water level has increased by 18 ft to reach 292.2 ft. The total capacity of the dam is 339 ft, after which the water from the dam will begin to overflow.
On the bright side, Karachi has been able to stock up on water for a year’s needs, experts said.
Following two days of rain in Karachi, water still remains on roads in several parts of the metropolis and many areas are still without electricity.
Light rain has been forecast in Karachi for Monday. Interior Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Qalat, Sibi, Naseerabad, Quetta, FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir are expected to get rain as well.
At least 21 people have died in separate rain-related incidents in Karachi and interior Sindh since Friday evening. The rain began on Friday evening and continued intermittently till Saturday afternoon, leaving 50 per cent of Karachi in darkness, as around 250 feeders of K-Electric out of a total of 1,400 had tripped.
Rescue and government officials said around 14 deaths were reported in Karachi from electrocution and roof collapse incidents in low-lying areas while another seven were killed in Badin, Mithi and Thatta in interior Sindh. The showers also resulted in massive traffic jams and gridlocks in various parts of the city.
Meanwhile, heavy rain-induced flood and landslides have disrupted the life of people in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Heavy rain caused landslides and blocked the roads in Neelum Valley, Kamsar, Panjgaran and Chalpani while many tourists were stranded in Neelum Valley.