Our Correspondents
Mirpur/Quetta
At least 13 people, including 07 children and 02 women, were killed and 46 residential buildings caved in as a result of the current torrential monsoon rains and floods in various parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Secretary State Disaster Management Authority (SdMA), AJK Raja Amjad Pervez Ali Khan said the authority has devised an integrated plan to deal with any eventuality during the recent torrential intermittent rains.
Elaborating break-up of loss of human and infrastructure losses during rains, he said two persons died in Muzaffarabad district, three in Sudhanoti, one in Kotli, five in Mirpur district and three in Bhimbher district – besides damaging of at least 55 buildings including 50 residential houses and six cattle sheds, besides partial damaging of twp school buildings – mostly in the top mountainous Sudhanoti district of the state, he told media. ‘17 buildings were fully 40 damaged partially’, Khan said quoting the official reports.
He said dead were identified as Ahsen Ehsan s/o Muhammad Ehsan (12), Qurat ul Ain d/o Muhammad Ehsan (6) and Aisha Bi Bi d/o Muhammad Ehsan (7), belonging to the same family in Bhimbher district. Those killed in Sudhanoti district were idenfied as Afzala d/o Mazhar Iqbal (25), Minhaz Begam w/o Shah Mir (27)and Moin s/o Ali Asghar (7). Two of them were electrocuted while one was drowned. Two from Muzaffarabad district were identified as Fanan s/o Bashir (3) and Konain d/o Shafique while who died in Kotli were identified as Nabiha BB d/ o Siraj (10) and Muhammad Irfan s/o Muhammad Zaman, he said.
Meanwhile, it is reported from Quetta that at least 19 people, including nine children and three women, were lost their lives in various rain-related incidents in different cities of Balochistan during current month. According to report issued by Balochistan Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), around 13 people faced injuries due to heavy rains in the current moonsoon season in various districts of the province.
The report informed that the deaths in rain-related incidents were reported from Dera Bugti, Jaffarabad, Kohlu, Jhal Magsi, Zhob, Kalat, Kach and Khuzdar.
The PDMA report also informed that 887 completely and 98 houses were partially damaged in Jaffarabad, Dera Bugti, Kalat, Jhal Magsi and Khuzdar due to recent rains and flood. Three bridges in Kachi, Gwadar were also damaged. The report said said that the current rain and flood had also caused damages to 11 roads in the province. On the other hand, Sibi-Quetta Highway has been repaired and restored for all kind of traffic while flood situation is still prevailing in urban and rural areas of the province. The heavy rain has also caused the loss in livestock and agriculture sector of the province.
Balochistan Chief Minister, Mir Jam Kamal Khan has also directed relevant departments to remain functional to address problems of public in rain affected areas. “Rehabilitation of rain affected National Highway and roads should be ensured as soon as possible for provision of facilities in the areas”, he directed saying that Irrigation Sector would continue monitoring water level of dams and Spillway of Hub Dam to release extra water timely.
