• Shehbaz reviews relief works in Balochistan
• 10 family members dead in AJK roof collapse incident
• Gilgit locals stranded after closure of roads; power, communication lines disrupted
• Seven die in KP in roof collapse, drowning incidents
• Nine killed across Balochistan

MUZAFFARABAD/GILGIT: As another 27 people lost their lives in rain-related incidents in various parts of the country on Monday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed anger over non-provision of food and other facilities to the flood-affected families in Qila Saifullah district of Balochistan and ordered strict action against the provincial administration.

In Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) Tahi Khakhriyali village of Hajira subdivision in Poonch district, 10 members of a family were killed and four wounded when the roof of their mud house caved in due to rains on Sunday night.

Poonch Divisional Commissioner Ansar Yaqoob handed over Rs4 million to the bereaved family in addition to tents, sheets, blankets and food.

In a separate incident on Mon­day, a man drowned while crossing a raging torrent in Gujjar Bandi area of Jhelum valley district.

Gilgit-Baltistan

In Gilgit, torrential rains triggered flooding in rivers and streams, damaged roads, crops, public and private properties, killing one person over the weekend. Locals in remote areas were stranded after the blockade of roads, electricity and communication lines were also disrupted in many areas.

Police said a boy died and his mother was critically wounded when the roof of a house collapsed after heavy rain in Nasirabad, Hunza on Saturday.

According to Skardu Deputy Commissioner Kareem Dad Chughtai, the Jaglot-Skardu Road was blocked at various spots due to land-sliding, leaving hundreds of tourists stranded.

Flash floods in Sikandarabad of Nagar damaged a section of KKH, many government buildings, dozens of shops, fertile land and irrigation channels while floods in Dahimal, Gupis and other areas of Ghizer damaged roads, crops and agricultural land.

Similar damages were reported in Deral and Tangir of Diamer, many areas of Astore, Ghanche, Shigar, Skardu.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Seven people were killed and eight others injured in roof collapse and drowning incidents, as flash floods triggered by torrential rains washed away lands, roads and other infrastructure in different districts of KP.

According to Rescue 1122, the flooding severely affected Man­sehra, Mardan, Swabi, Charsadda, Shangla and other districts where streams and hill torrents inundated residential localities.

“Traffic between KP and GB has been suspended as a central bridge on the Karakoram Highway has been washed away in the Ichar Nullah,” Upper Kohistan Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Asif told reporters.

Balochistan

Meanwhile, as nine more people lost their lives in rain-related incidents in Balochistan, PM Sharif appealed to the local and international organisations to assist the government in helping the flood-stricken people, and directed the authorities concerned to pay compensation money to all the victims within 24 hours. He expressed these views during his visit to the tent city set up in the Khusnob area of Qila Saifullah district.

“The government will not sit comfortably until restoring the last destroyed house,” he added and expressed anger at the district administration for not ensuring proper food and drinking water to the displaced families living in tents. He said action should be taken against those responsible for the negligence.

Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo and NDMA chairman Lt Gen Akhtar Nawaz bri­­efed the prime minister. Mr Bi­­ze­njo suspended the Qila Saifullah deputy commissioner while taking notice of the complaints of flood victims who did not receive food and relief goods in the tent city.

Later, during his visit to Chaman, PM Sharif reiterated that the federal and provincial governments had been making all-out efforts to provide succor to the flood-hit population.

At a compensation cheque distribution ceremony, he said different areas had been inundated by flash floods, about 136 lives lost, and a large number of houses partially or completely destroyed.

Meanwhile, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) officials said a large number of houses collapsed in Zhob district, while Awaran and Kohlu districts remain cut off from the rest of the province.

Flash floods continued to lash Gandawah and Jhal Magsi areas, as well as parts of Jaffarabad district due to rains.

Saleem Shahid in Quetta, Ali Jan Mangi in Dera Murad Jamali and Abdul Wahid Shahwani in Khuzdar also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2022