Another seven die in Chaman as rain wreaking havoc in Balochistan

Another seven people have died as downpours have been playing havoc in Balochistan, the 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Thursday.

Four women and three children were killed in rain-related incidents in Chaman on Thursday, taking the death toll to 14 in the district in two days.

Three women and two children died when rainwater swept away a car while a woman and a child were killed when the roof of a house collapsed in the bordering district where seven people lost their lives yesterday.

According to authorities, the death toll in the province hit 15. The Chaman district administration said seven people were killed in roof collapses and Balochistan PDMA stated that eight deaths were reported earlier.

Reports suggest Quetta and Gwadar have been submerged and most areas lost ground connectivity as roads and highways were washed away. Torrential rains have been lashing Quetta and Gwadar districts since last night, grinding life to a standstill.

Due to the unprecedented downpour in Gwadar regions, highways also were washed away and ground connectivity with Karachi and other Sindh areas was disrupted.

The SP Coastal Highway confirmed that traffic between Gwadar and Karachi was suspended at Makran Coastal Highway near Princes of Hope as the road has been blocked by flood and other routes were also washed away.

In Quetta, rainwater entered the houses while highways and linked roads were closed to any traffic.

The downpour affected the areas of Turbat, Panjgur, Noshki, Pishin, and Chaman as well.

Rainfall in Ziarat, Pasni, Ormara, Jiwani, and Jhal Magsi has triggered flash floods. According to the report, numerous settlements in these areas have been submerged, and the roofs of many houses have collapsed while ground connectivity has also been disrupted in several villages.

The Meteorology Department predicted heavy rains in Sindh and Punjab for the next three days as a spell of rains is expected from April 18 to 21.

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As per the Met Office report, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan will also receive rain in three days. The Met Office also confirmed that another spell of rain is expected from April 25 to 29.

A report said there are falling rains at nearly twice the historical average rate in April this year and at least 65 people have died in lightning and heavy rain incidents in Balochistan and other parts of the country.

Pakistan is increasingly vulnerable to unpredictable weather patterns and often destructive monsoon rains that usually arrive in July.

"In April, we have observed highly unusual rainfall patterns," Zaheer Ahmad Babar, spokesperson for the Meteorological Department, told AFP.

"From April 1st to April 17th, we experienced precipitation levels exceeding the historical average by 99 per cent," he added, citing data from the past 30 years as a comparison.

"Climate change is a major factor behind these unusual weather patterns and above normal rainfalls, but it’s not just Pakistan which is affected, the whole region is experiencing changes in temperature patterns," Babar added.

In the latest rains, 21 people including farmers harvesting wheat were killed by lightning in Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province, provincial authorities said.

At least eight people were killed in Balochistan province, including seven struck by lightning, where 25 districts were battered by rain and some areas were flooded. At least four people were killed in road accidents linked to flooded roads in southern Sindh province.