Over 300 houses were badly damaged, making hundreds of people homeless after low-lying areas of Balochistan, including Gawadar, became flooded as heavy winter rains continue to pour in different areas of the province on Tuesday.
The rains and snowfall started on Sunday in Quetta, Ziarat, Kan Mehtarzai, Muslim Bagh, Khanozai, Sanjavi, Duki, Pishin, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Toba Achakzai, Toba Kakari, and other parts of Balochistan.
A new weather system that had entered Balochistan on Monday night led to heavy pouring and snowfall in different parts of the southern province. Heavy rains particularly affected the coastal areas of the Makran division, paralyzing life by blocking highways and cutting parts of the region from the center.
Areas badly affected:
Gawadar received 100 mm rain in about 20 hours leading to flash flooding in the Basol River, which washed away the Makran Coastal Highway, linking the port city of Gwadar with Karachi, near Ormara. Flooding also resulted in power outages in Gwadar and its adjacent areas.
Other than Gwadar, Pasni received the highest rainfall of 70mm, Ormara 27mm, Kech and Jiwani 24mm, Quetta 8mm, while Khuzdar, Dalbandin, and Panjgur received 3mm rainfall.
Heavy losses were reported in different coastal areas as rainwater badly damaged a large number of mud houses, according to the Commissioner of Makran division Shabbir Mengal. He said heavy rain that began on Monday night lashed the entire coast of Makran. The areas that were most affected include:
- Turbat
- Gwadar
- Pasni
- Jiwani
Losses in Gawadar
Heavy losses were reported in different areas of Gwadar district, including Sur-Bandar Pushkin and Pasni tehsil, according to Deputy Commissioner of Gwadar Jameel Ahmed Baloch. Two old settlements in Gwadar, namely Mula Band ward and Koh Bin ward, were submerged in the rainwater, forcing the residents to leave their houses and take shelter elsewhere. Floodwater entered some other localities of the port city as well.
Rescue operation in affected areas
Local administration with the help of the Pakistan Army, Pakistan Navy, FC, police, and Levies Force had launched large-scale relief and rescue operations in the affected areas of Makran and Gawadar. Pakistan Navy boats are shifting people stranded in their houses to safe places including schools and other government buildings.
Personnel of the Pakistan Coast Guard are also helping the local people in clearing rainwater from roads and houses in Gawadar, Pashukan, and Jiwani.
Flight operations suspended in Gawadar
Flight operations at Gawadar airport were also suspended after the runway was flooded with rainwater and flash flood from nearby mountains.
Heavy rains and snowfall to continue for five days
The Met Office has predicted that heavy rains and snowfall will continue to hit Balochistan till the next five days under a new system that entered Balochistan on Sunday.