Ayaz khan
Hub: Torrential monsoon rain yesterday caused flash flood which washed away numerous homes and killed at least 13 people including 3 women and children in some peripheral areas of Hub city, a sub division and industrial city of district Lasbela.
First monsoon rain in the city resulted in flash flooding inundating Pathar Colony and adjoining areas situated on the verge of a parched river, a way to mountainous rain water. Flood caused damage to both human lives and cattle depriving of hundreds of residents of their valuables worth millions.
With first spell of monsoon rains entering the country, metrological department and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had issued warnings of high and low intensity flooding in cities including Khuzdar and other cities in Balochistan.
Rescue work, however, could not start immediately due to hours-long rain at night. People initiated rescue work with residents of adjoining area to evacuate flood victims and threw a search operation for missing people. Later on, the proper rescue operation could have been started with the help of police in the morning. However, 9 bodies have been recovered so far and 4 are still reportedly missing.
Assistant Commissioner Naeem Gichki confirmed the death of 13 people adding that he had called Edhi divers for an extensive search operation to find out bodies. “We have started a rescue work and started a search operation on a 10-miles long area for the bodies washed away by the flood,” said Naeem Gichki.
The area affected by the flood is consisted of around 600 homes. Flood washed away almost all the homes constructed on the both sides of the river falling in the range of the flood. “We are lying under the open sky. I have lost my home, cattle (8 goats) and valuables even we don’t have food to eat,” said Bachal, a resident of Pathar Colony, to Balochistan Voices.
The masses of the area seemed complaining about lack of assistant by the government authorities. Ironically the rescue work, which had to be started by the Municipal Corporation, was initiated by the police. The Municipal Corporation and its rescue work remained elusive.
However, councillor of the area, Mr. Nazir Sarmastani, claimed that he had called FC for help in order to manage food and shelter for the flood affected.
Given the prediction of more rains country wide, the victims, until noon, seemed stranded and busy in removing the debris of their homes or searching for their beloveds instead of being evacuated to a safe place to avoid further loss of life.
“7 members of my family have lost their lives including 2 women and 2 children and 3 others including my father. All have died and only three bodies could have been recovered while other 4 are missing,” informed one of the victims, Mr. Usman.
Along with rescue work, the medical help to the flood affected also reached hours late. “I have dispatched one female and two male doctors for the assistant of victims,” Abbas Lasi, Medical Superintendent District Headquarter Hospital Hub, told Balochistan Voices.
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