Hundreds marooned in Balochistan due to flooding

Hundreds of people, women and children among them, were marooned in Bala Nari area of Bolan district after Nari River burst its banks at several points because of flooding triggered by torrential rains in Harnai and Ziarat areas on Tuesday.

People of the area have called for immediate rescue efforts by the army to save families in Ari town as floodwater was rising rapidly, posing a serious threat to other villages in the next 24 hours. The people have taken refuge at rooftops of their houses and waiting for their rescue.

Loralai, Harnai, Ziarat and some other areas received rainfall on Monday night and flooding in different areas left six people dead.

“We have received information about six more deaths in Balochistan,” Hasan Baloch, head of Provincial Disaster Management Authority, told Dawn, adding that there were reports of devastation in Nasirabad, Jaffarabad, Bolan, Harnai, Ziarat, Loralai and Kohlu districts. The swollen Nari River burst its banks at several points, submerging several villages of Ari town and Bala Nari area.

“Around 500 to 600 people have been marooned in a village in Ari town,” sources said, adding that the flood water was fast moving towards other villages of Bala Nari area.

RESCUE EFFORTS:

The army continued its rescue operation in flood-affected areas of Sobatpur and Adampur in eastern-Jaffarabad. The Chief of the Army Staff, Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, visited flood-hit areas of Sobatpur on Tuesday.

Army personnel and officials of the local administration briefed him about the plight of flood-hit people.

Sources said that personnel of the Frontier Corps were also helping the local administration in relief and rescue operation in Nasirabad, Jaffarabad, Sibi and Bolan districts.

Provincial ministers Sardar Aslam Bizenjo, Babu Amin Umrani, MNA Mir Changez Jamali and MPA Nasir Jamali visited Nasirabad and Jaffarabad districts.

Meanwhile, thousands of flood-hit people have entered Balochistan from Sindh.

Sources said that a number of families had taken refuge at Dera Allahyar bypass and on the banks of Pat Feeder and other small canals. A large number of trucks, tractor trolleys and other vehicles were seen moving towards Sibi and Quetta.

The families coming from Sindh have yet to get food and other aid from the administration, but local people were providing them with food and other help.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/19-hundreds-marooned-in-balochistan-180-hh-03

More related links: http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=167106

http://www.sananews.net/english/2010/08/10/disastrous-rains-in-balochistan-kill-4-several-missing/

http://www.balochwarna.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2787