PAF C-130 airlifts relief items for flood-affected Gwadar areas

Islamabad: Pakistan Air Force (PAF) C-130 aircraft carrying relief goods for the flood affected areas of Gwadar, Balochistan, landed at Pasni airport on Thursday.

Pakistan Air Force was undertaking relief operation on the instructions of the government, said a PAF media release.

PAF aircraft airlifted more than 39,860 pounds of relief goods comprising food items, tents and medicines for the flood affectees of Gwadar, Balochistan.

The recent floods have caused devastation in the low-lying areas of Gwadar, badly damaging the villages and infrastructure.

PAF has always responded to the call of the nation during natural calamities in addition to safeguarding the aerial frontiers of the country.

A day earlier, heavy rainfall has caused devastation and it also caused floods which disrupted life in different areas of Balochistan, including Gwadar, Chaman, Ormara, Pasni, and Kech on Wednesday.

According to the reports, over 1000 vehicles have been stranded near the Pakistan-Iran border due to road closure after heavy rain. The heavy rainfall has also choked the drainage system in Quetta.

Government declares emergency in Gwadar

Continuous rainfall in Gwadar has wreaked havoc as many homes partially collapsed, while rainwater entered the houses. The Balochistan government has declared an emergency in district Gwadar, while the dam’s spillway is also opened after the water level rose.

Due to the torrential rains, more than 200 homes — including schools and other buildings — have collapsed in Chaman, while many roads in the district have been swept away. Meanwhile, due to the sporadic rainfall, Pasni, Ormara, Jiwani, and Kech have also been badly affected.

Snow covers Ziarat Valley 

Mercury dropped to as low as three degrees Celsius in Quetta with frosty winds and to minus four degrees Celsius in Ziarat. Snow has covered the Ziarat Valley and increased the chill. It has disrupted life in the valley.

Traffic in Turbat, on the other hand, choked with thousands of oil-carrying vehicles stranded on roads. People have been pleading to the authorities to take immediate action as they are facing difficulties in a freezing temperature.

As per report of Pakistan’s Met Office, Balochistan’s 17 cities received 445mm rain in aggregate within 24 hours. The PMD also reported recording the highest 320mm of rains in the Makran division, which includes Gwadar.

Khuzdar received 42mm rain while Pashin and Lasbela recorded 21mm of rain. According to the Met Office, 18mm of rain was recording Quetta and Qalat, 8mm in Muslim Bagh and 4mm in Barkhan and Kohlu.

Pasni received maximum rainfall in Balochistan during the ongoing wet spell, according to the figures released by Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).

According to the data Pasni received 115mm rain fall in 24 hours till 8:00 in the morning, while Gwadar received 64mm, Ormara 60mm, Khuzdar 42mm, Panjgur 29mm, Jiwani 27mm, Turbat 25mm, Lasbela and Pishin 21mm each, Quetta and Kalat 18mm each, Ziarat 09mm, Muslim Bagh 08mm, Barkhan and Kohlu 04mm each, Sibi 03mm and Lorala 02mm.

Balochistan’s coastal belt as well as Turbat and other areas received heavy rainfall. Rainwater entered in houses in southern part of the port city of Gwadar.

Coastal towns of Jiwani, Pasni and Ormara also received heavy rainfall.

Moreover, Surjani Town in Karachi received 37mm rain, while Gulshan Hadeed 32mm, Quaidabad and Landhi 28mm, North Nazimabad 23mm, Faisal Base and North Karachi 22mm, Saadi Town 22.1mm, University Road 22.4mm, Old Airport 20.7mm, Gulshan-e-Maymar 20.1mm, Jinnah Terminal 20.4mm, PAF Base Masroor 20mm, Keamari 16.5mm and Orangi received minimum rainfall in Karachi measured 14.8mm.