Death Toll Jumps to 53 in Floods; More Areas Devastated

The Baloch Hal News

QUETTA: Death toll in flood related incidents jumped to 53 in Barkhan and Kohlu on Friday as 13 more dead bodies had been recovered from flood devastated areas of eastern Balochistan.

Relief efforts could not be started in full swing in flood hit areas where according to a rough estimate more than 80 thousand people had been seriously affected. The train services between Quetta and Jacobabad have also been suspended, officials said. More than five kilometer long railway track was washed away in flash floods and heavy rains.

Director General of Provincial Disaster Management, Hassan Baloch said total 50 dead bodies had been recovered from Barkhan and three from Wazir Machi village of Lehri Tehsil during the past two days. He said that two helicopters had flown to affected areas on Friday in order to rescue the trapped people. 14 trucks loaded with relief goods had reached in Kohlu, Barkhan and Sibi.

More than 50 people are marooned for the past two days and no one had gone to rescue them in the plains close to Bakhtiarabad.

Affected people in Bakhtiarabad staged a protest demonstration on national highway disrupting traffic for several hours. The local tribal elder Sardar Sarfraz Khan Domki has said that the village was completely devastated by hill torrents but the people could not get relief during the past 48 hours. The village having population of 4,000 had been submerged in flooded water and no relief insight.

The protestors burnt tyres and chanted slogans against the administration for not providing adequate relief. They dispersed after relief works started.

Commissioner Sibi Division Qamar Masood has said that two Tehsils, Sibi and Lehri have been devastated by flash floods and at least 10, 000 people were affected in both Tehsils. However, the local people claimed that over 80,000 affected in both the Tehsils of Sibi.

Commissioner said relief work has been started in Nari, Lehri and some other areas through helicopter. “We have a single helicopter and providing relief goods to those who were visible from roadsides,” he said adding that they had provided tents to the affectees as most of the affectees refused to live in relief camps thus administration did not establish any relief camp.

Referring to the protesting people, he said that administration held talks with protesting people of Baktiarabad and started relief work in the area as well. Qamar Masood said there is single helicopter which is busy in distributing relief goods among the affectees and also making efforts to retrieve the marooned people. He conceded that the rescue workers have no access to the majority of people who he says trapped in middle of the flooded waters.

He said that once the waters drained from the areas then the administration will launch a survey so that the officials will be in position to estimate the devastations.

Local journalist of Sibi reached on telephone said the six hundred people are still marooned in Talli area and those were not getting proper relief. He said affectees are complaining for inadequate relief efforts. He said three villages including Talli, Sultan Kot and Thari Wadh were completely destroyed rendering 20 thousands people homeless.

Five kilometer long railway track was washed away by hill torrents in Baktiarabad village which has caused disruption of train traffic linking Quetta with rest of the country. According to railway officials, the train could not depart on Friday and the track was damaged from different places in Baktiarabad, Damboli and other neighbouring human settlements. The service would be restored in two days, they added. All the Quetta-bound trains had been stopped in Rhori and Jacobabad stations.

According to Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO), around 13 power pylons of 33KV had been washed away or completely damaged in Kohlu and Barkhan plunging the two Tehsils into complete darkness. The company could not start the repair work as the whole area under flood waters.

The situation is similar in Kohlu Tehsil where according to administration 30 villages have been lashed by hill torrents and around 20, 000 thousands people rendered homeless. Official sources said a helicopter carried out relief works in the area and the Tehsil received five loaded trucks of relief goods.

Commissioner Zhob Division Mir Ikhtiar Bangulzai said 25 to 30 villages have been devastated and around 20, 000 people have been affected by flash floods.

“There were a large number of property losses rather than human losses. Valuable standing crops on 1000 acres had been completely destroyed and all the patrol pumps, small dams and bridges were washed away,” he said.

He said that it was worst flood in a century that played havoc in the eastern Balochistan.

Relief camps, flood control room had been established in the area where people are properly getting goods, tents, blankets and drinking water, he informed.

However, he said that not a single helicopter could fly from Quetta due to inclement weather. He praised the efforts made by Red Crescent and Mawand Rifles for contributing in relief efforts. He said the survey will be started in the affected areas within in three days.

According to a Press release issued here, four helicopters of Pakistan Army carrying relief goods had reached in affected areas. And around 500 solders of Sibi Scouts and Mawand Rifles are engaged in relief works in Sibi and Kohlu. The teams of lady and male doctors have also been arrived to ensure the health care.

Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Lt-General (Retired) Nadeem Ahmed is due to visit Quetta today on Saturday. He will conduct an aerial survey of flood affected regions and report back to the Prime Minister. He was instructed by the Prime Minister to pay a visit to the flood affected areas of Balochistan and make an assessment about the damages in floods.