QUETTA, Feb 12: A number of more villages were washed away as two small dams burst in Pasni tehsil and Turbat district on Saturday and the death toll rose to 76 as six more people were reported killed in different parts of Makran division.

According to official sources, a Chalvi dam in Kolach union council in Pasni Tehsil and Gawar Bagh dam in Turbat district burst in the afternoon due to persistent rains and flash floods.

Hundreds of people are reported missing in Suntesar, the last human settlement before the flood water falls into the Arabian Sea near Gwadar.

"Six villages having population of over 3,000 were completely inundated," official sources told Dawn, adding that around 200 houses collapsed in the area. However, most of the people living in these houses were rescued by army personnel engaged in relief operation, they said.

According to another report, several hundred more people are marooned following floods in Hingol, the biggest seasonal river of Balochistan.

Hingol river has a catchment area of more than 2,000 miles in central Balochistan from where heavy rains and floods have been reported.

Hingol flood water has completely washed away at least 100 houses with most residents taking refuge in the hillocks. Among them are members of the Pakistan Coast Guards and Frontier Works Organization (FWO) who lost their camps.

According to official sources, 150 families were displaced from Qasim Goth, Bhit, Gorani, Norangi, Lungi and other areas close to the Hingol River. "Nothing is left in these villages," they said.

Near Kalmat in Gwadar district, a bund was washed away almost drowning four persons but they were rescued by the navy personnel.

In the meantime, the number of deaths in bus accident near Pasni on Thursday last rose to 29 while seven passengers were still missing. Three people had died in Hoshab area of Kech district in flash floods, an official spokesman said.

Rescue operation by army, navy and civil armed forces continued on the third day in the flood-affected areas of Suntsar (Gwadar), Pasni, Mand, Turbat, Awaran, Bela and Ormara.

Nine trucks carrying relief goods, including 300 tents, 1,000 blankets, oil stoves, medicines, etc., left Quetta on Friday night for distribution among the affected people of Awaran and Bela.

Two C-130 aircraft carried relief goods from Chaklala air base to the affected areas of Suntsar, Pasni, Awaran, Bela and Gwadar. One C-130 will carry more relief goods from Quetta to Gwadar on Sunday morning for distribution amongst the flood-hit people.

Besides, four helicopters, one each of army and navy, and two from the interior ministry, two Y-12 aircraft and one Cessna aircraft are also engaged in rescue operations.

On Friday night, another 500 people trapped in affected areas were rescued from Turbat, Mand, Bela and north of Wadh. Besides, special army teams continue to be engaged in rescuing the affected people and carrying out relief work.

A team of 30 army doctors along with medicines and nursing staff has also been despatched to the flood-hit areas to provide treatment to the sick and wounded in these areas. Medical camps, with 16 Frontier Corps doctors, have already been established in Awaran, Bela and other affected part of the province.

One hundred people from Zad village in Gwadar district have been evacuated by the personnel of the nearby post of Coast Guards. At present, they are staying at the post and being provided food.

Basool village in Gwadar district has been washed away and people evacuated to nearby mountains. They have been provided relief goods through helicopters.

Some 40 kilometres of the coastal highway have been severely damaged and 250 kilometres partially damaged between Ormara and Pasni.

It will take approximately 10 to 15 days to make the highway traffic worthy.

About 150 to 200 houses at Suntsar and 40 to 50 houses at Awaran have been damaged and 3,000 acres of land in Awaran submerged.

Five people, trapped in District Awaran near Khan Zilck, have been evacuated to safe place. A total of 35 people have died due to heavy rains and floods there. Three trucks loaded with relief goods have reached Awaran and two in Bela.

Arrangements are also being made by civil administration to provide safe drinking water in plastic bottles to the people of Pasni area to meet the shortage. However, army and navy personnel will continue to provide drinking water facilities to the affected people of Pasni.

Sources said around 5,000 army troops, navy and civil armed forces personnel were participating in relief and rescue operation in the coastal regions and central Makran range.