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Wednesday, September 12, 2012Floods wreak devastation across country
ISLAMABAD/DERA GHAZI KHAN/ QUETTA/LAHORE: Floods triggered by monsoon rains have wreaked havoc across the country. Government officials have confirmed 89 deaths so far, while unofficial statistics reported over 100 casualties across the country.
In Balochistan, hundreds of villages have been inundated, forcing hundreds of residents to be evacuated. Floodwater submerged railway tracks and highways in Naseerabad and Jaffarabad, inundated thousands of houses and washed away hundreds others. No rescue work has been initiated by the government, while the army has started its relief activities in the catastrophe-hit districts. At least 12 people have so far been killed, and 400,000 others are trapped in Naseerabad.
At least three people were injured in different incidents of roof collapse in Jacobabad. The city is also facing blackouts for two days as water has entered the local grid station. Torrential rains have submerged a portion of railway track at the Jacobabad-Sibbi junction, suspending train services in Balochistan and cutting it off from the rest of the country. There is massive shortage of food, other edibles and medicines threatening loss of several lives and eruption of epidemics, while standing crops of billions of rupees have also been destroyed.
Meanwhile, the breaches in DG Khan canal have led to inundation of several residential areas, hospitals, police stations, courts and railways station. About 112 patients, mostly of skin diseases and diarrhoea, underwent treatment at the DHQ Hospital. According to the hospital MS, they had ample stock of medicines, while nurses from Muzaffargarh and Layyah had been called in to meet shortage of paramedics. Floodwater in the city is decreasing and experts hope it will reduce further as army teams and district government officials are actively engaged in filling breaches. The Met Department has warned of more rains and flash floods in southern Punjab in next 48 hours. However, a spokesman said central Punjab and Lahore would not be affected by floods, but only scattered isolated rain in the next 24 hours. staff report/agencies
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk