22 killed in rain-related accidents in Pakistan

At least 22 people were killed and scores others injured in separate rain-related accidents in Pakistan over the last four days, local Urdu media and officials said Friday.

The country's southwestern Balochistan Province was the worst hit area as 17 people were killed and 18 others injured in separate incidents of rain and snowfall, said the Provincial Disaster Management Authority of Balochistan on Friday.

The authority said that most of the casualties happened due to roof collapse incidents in Sherani, Qalat, Mustang districts and provincial capital of Quetta.

In the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, five people were killed and several others injured when their vehicle fall into a ravine due to slippery roads after heavy downpour, local Urdu TV channel Dunya said.

Balochistan province received the heaviest downpour over the last four days where 44mm rainfall was recorded.

Home Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfaraz Bugti said that road route of several districts including Ziarat and Kalat to other areas have been blocked due to heavy snowfall, stranding the residents inside their houses at various places.

He said that a large number of mud houses collapsed in Khaliqabad area of Kalat district, rendering the residents homeless, adding that the provincial government is distributing relief items among snowfall-affected families and is making all-out efforts to facilitate the victims.

He added that Pakistan Army Aviation also provided two MI-17 helicopters on the request of Balochistan government for carrying out relief operation in snow-hit areas of Kalat division.

Local weather office said that the current spell of rains in the country is almost over and cold and dry weather is expected in most parts of the country from Friday.  

source: Xinhua