Pakistan
77 killed as torrential rains ravage Balochistan; burst 8 dams
Rain-induced floods killed dozens of people and left hundreds homeless, while eight dams had burst due to torrential rains.
Quetta: At least 77 people have been killed, including women and children, in Pakistan's Balochistan province as torrential rains battered the area, obliterating everything in its surrounding range.
According to media reports, authorities in Balochistan have issued an alert for people to stay away from dams after at least 8 reservoirs were breached in several districts across the province due to heavy downpours.
According to reports from other districts, dams in Qila Saifullah, Qila Abdullah, Muslim Bagh, Kan Mehitar Zai, and Zohb districts either gave way or developed breaches. The flash floods unleashed by torrential rains also swept away check dams and bridges in different parts of the province.
There are fears that the death toll could go up as several people are still reportedly missing due to flash flooding in remote areas of Balochistan.
The provincial government has declared an emergency in Quetta district as relentless rainfall battered the city submerging several areas and leaving many without power on the third day of Eid-ul-Azha.
The situation has been worsening in many districts in northern Balochistan, where dams have come under immense pressure due to water torrents gushing down from various mountainous areas.
In the meantime, the Met department predicted heavy rainfall and thunderstorms to continue in Karachi and other parts of Sindh, including Thatta, Badin, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Umerkot and Mirpurkhas till July 18-19.
Heavy rains have lashed Pakistan in recent days, leaving large swathes of the largest city, Karachi, inundated with water.
The country received 87% more rain this monsoon season so far compared with past years, according to the Environment and Climate Change Ministry.
Drawing criticism about poor government planning, Pakistan struggle with the annual monsoon deluge every year.
In 2010, the worst floods in memory affected 20 million people in Pakistan, with damage to infrastructure running into billions of dollars and huge swathes of crops destroyed as one-fifth of the country was inundated.