City
Epaper

14 die as snowfall, rain wreak havoc in Balochistan

By IANS | Updated: January 13, 2020 12:20 IST

Heavy snowfall and rain have claimed at least 14 lives in different parts of Balochistan and suspended road and air links of the Pakistans largest province with rest of the world, as the unusually extreme weather system entered the country.

Open in App

With a strong westerly wave affecting most parts of the country, snowfall is also expected in Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, besides heavy showers have been forecast for Islamabad as well as upper and central Punjab from Monday till Tuesday morning, Dawn news quoted the Met Department as saying.

Met officials said heavy snowfall in Quetta had already broken the 20-year record.

"In Qilla Saifullah, the Met Office recorded three- to four-foot snow, which was (more than) double the usual one- to 1.5-foot snow," said Chief Meteo­rologist Azmat Hayat Khan.

An aircraft that had arrived from Saudi Arabia with passengers on Saturday night could not return, as Quetta airport runway remained covered with heavy snow, sources said.

Traffic was suspended on the Quetta-Chaman highway as the Khozak-Pass linking Pakistan with Afghanistan also received heavy snowfall, bringing a halt to the Afghan transit trade as hundreds of trucks and other goods vehicles remained standard on both sides of the border.

Around two dozen passengers in four vehicles were trapped in the far-flung area of Kaachar close to Pakistan-Iran border.

Meanwhile, emergency has been declared in Mastung, Qila Abdullah, Kech, Ziarat, Harnai, and Pishin districts of Balochistan due to heavy snow, said The News International in a report.

While addressing the media here, Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan said a high alert had been issued to the commissioners and deputy commissioners.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: pakistanQuettaJam Kamal KhanQilla Saifullah
Open in App

Related Stories

NationalAir India to Suspend Direct Delhi–Washington Services from September 1, Offers Alternate Routes

InternationalIran Terrorist Attack Video: At Least 8 Killed, 13 Injured in Zahedan Firing; Pakistani Group Claims Responsibility

EntertainmentPakistani Actress Humaira Asghar Dies At 32, Decomposed Body Found in Karachi Home by Local Police

MaharashtraRaigad: Suspicious Pakistani Boat in Arabian Sea Turns Out to Be Buoy

OpinionsVicious Plot to Drown Nation in Drugs

International Realted Stories

InternationalTrump asserts oil sanctions ‘big blow’ to Russia

InternationalNepal Court denies release request of former Home Minister Lamichhane

InternationalUS President Trump again claims to solve the Pakistan-India war

InternationalPhilippines accelerates TB elimination drive with India's community-based screening devices

International"Ministry has given fitting reply... We are not going to surrender to nuclear blackmail": Shashi Tharoor on Asim Munir's threat