5 killed as massive rains lash SW Pakistan

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - At least five people were killed and several injured as massive rains, along with flashfloods, have lashed southwestern Pakistan over the past 24 hours, rescue agencies and local media reported on Sunday.

Torrential rains and flashfloods inundated several roads, including portions of two key highways across southwestern Balochistan province, disconnecting it with rest of the country, apart from damaging dozens of mud houses and crops in at least 10 districts, the country's Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said.

Two casualties were reported from the Khuzdar and Labella districts, each, while one person was killed in the remote Ketch district in multiple rain-related accidents, the PDMA said.

Chaghi, Pangur, Muchh, Chaman, Sibbi, and Harnai were other hard-hit districts where rains and flashfloods washed away or damaged dozens of mud houses, standing crops, and caused streams to overflow.

At least two bridges were also washed away by flashfloods suspending the traffic between several districts within the province.

The inundation of a large swath of National Highway near the Harnai district has also suspended traffic between Balochistan and the rest of the country.

Footage screened on the local broadcaster Geo News showed long queues of vehicles and passengers stranded on either side of the highway.

Balochistan is Pakistan's largest province in terms of land, and a key route to the multi-billion dollar project China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.