QUETTA: The death toll due to heavy rainfall which has been battering Balochistan province for the last five days has risen to six leaving 25 others injured in separate incidents across the province the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) stated as quoted by local media.
The downpour has wreaked havoc on infrastructure and transportation routes, particularly affecting the N-70 highway which links Balochistan to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The PDMA has confirmed that the highway has been closed off to traffic due to landslides at Dhana Sar, a result of heavy rains in the Koh-e-Suleman mountain range in eastern Balochistan. This closure has left several vehicles stranded along the route.
In response to the crisis, traffic coming from Peshawar, Swat, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi has been advised to stop at Dera Ismail Khan, as the Zhob-DI Khan Road has also been blocked at Dhana Sar due to the adverse weather conditions affecting Zhob and Sherani districts.
Local administrations in Zhob and Qilla Saifullah have been instructed to manage traffic flow and coordinate relief efforts. Rescue teams have been deployed to assist stranded travelers and facilitate relief operations.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecasted continued rain across several parts of the country, including Islamabad, Murree, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Narowal, Sialkot, Balakot, Mansehra, Abbottabad, and Swat. Additionally, areas in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and specific districts of Balochistan such as Khuzdar, Awaran, and Lasbela are expected to experience downpours.
The weather phenomenon has been attributed to moist currents, which are penetrating southern and eastern regions of Pakistan. Thundershowers accompanied by gusty winds have been reported in parts of Sindh and other affected provinces.
This recent spell of heavy rainfall marks another instance of severe weather impacting Balochistan in 2024. Earlier this year, the provincial government declared a rain and flood emergency in response to similar weather conditions that caused significant loss of life and property across various districts. In April, several districts were battered by continuous heavy rains, resulting in casualties and substantial infrastructure damage.
In March, Gwadar, Balochistan’s port city, was severely affected by torrential rains, prompting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to visit and announce a relief package for the affected residents. During that period, more than 40 fatalities were reported due to rain-related incidents in the inundated city.
