At least 30 people were killed, score of others injured and some even went missing across country in a fresh wave of thunderstorms and heavy snowfall, a private TV channel reported on Thursday.
The heavy rain and snow engulfed parts of Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. Flooded streets and blocked roads have paralyzed areas in several cities, which also experienced power breakdowns.
Heavy snowfall and downpour caused flashfloods in southern Balochistan, killing at least four people. Dozens have been stranded in the mountainous terrain of the south-western province as communication suffers due to continued snowfall.
Deputy Commissioner Shabeer Mengal said four people were swept away by a flooding nullah in Uthal area of Lasbela district in Balochistan. Body of one person has been recovered while search for others is underway. The rains also damaged dozens of houses and other structures and water entered residential areas in various localities.
Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Imran Zarkoon said 450 families have been affected by weather-related incidents across Balochistan. An emergency has been declared in Lasbela where at least 200 families have been affected by flash floods which submerged nearby villages, Zarkoon said, adding that emergency workers are trying to rescue those stranded by flooding.
Woman among two people were killed and two others injured when roof of a dilapidated house collapsed due to heavy rain in Rojhan tehsil of Rajanpur district.
Two brothers were killed while their mother was critically injured when a big stone fell on their house in Karlonga area of Upper Dir. Three schoolchildren were killed when a snow avalanche hit Darala area of Hattian Bala in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Due to heavy rain, roof of a house located at Budhla Road in Multan came down, killing four people.
A couple died when roof of a dilapidated house in Farooqabad area of Sheikhupura collapsed due to heavy rain.
Life has come to a standstill in Chitral with dozens of passengers stranded in the Lowari Tunnel.
The heavy spell of rains has led to a handsome increase in the water level in Hub dam. According to Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) Managing Director (MD) Asadullah Khan, the storage is enough for providing water to Karachi for next six months. He said the reservoir can also help overcome the shortage of water in the western district, adding that 50 million gallons of water can be provided to the city on a daily basis.
It is pertinent to mention here that due to lack of rains, Hub dam was unable to provide water to the metropolis since past few years.
In the last 24 hours, 45 millimeters (mm) of rain was recorded in Khuzdar, 39 mm in Lasbella, 28 mm in Pasni, 24 mm in Turbat, 21 mm in Sibbi, 19 mm in Kalat, 16 mm in Gwadar, 15 mm in Jiwani, 13 mm in Ormara and Barkhan, 12 mm in Zhob, 11 mm in Quetta, 10 mm in Dalbandin, six mm in Panjgur and two mm in Nokkundi.
Published in Daily Times, February 22nd 2019.
