QUETTA: A fresh spell of heavy rains triggered a flash flood in Pakistan’s impoverished southwestern Balochistan province, resulting in the death of eight people belonging to the same family after their vehicle was swept away by floodwater, local authorities confirmed on Saturday.
Last year, Pakistan witnessed devastating floods due to unprecedented monsoon rains that submerged one-third of the South Asian country and killed over 1,700 people. According to some estimates, it also affected the lives of 33 million people and caused extreme destruction amounting to about $30 billion.
The deputy commissioner of the Awaran district, where the vehicle sank, confirmed that eight individuals, including four women, were killed due to heavy rains in the area.
“A vehicle carrying eight family members was heading to Jhao, a small town situated in the Awaran district, when it drowned in the floodwater during the early hours of Saturday,” Jumma Dad Mandokhail told Arab News.
He added that rescue teams had so far managed to retrieve seven bodies.
“The flood washed away the Arrah Bridge in Awaran, but the government’s machinery is engaged in repairing the bridge and some traffic has been restored in the area,” he continued.
Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo expressed his grief over the recent deaths in Awaran and directed the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to issue a travel advisory for the public on the basis of the meteorological department’s weather forecast.
