7 die in Sindh rain, flood-related incidents

KARACHI (INP): Seven people including a woman and five children died while five others sustained critical injuries in rain and flood-related incidents in different areas of Sindh on Wednesday.
Three children of the same family died after the roof of their house collapsed on them due to rain in Kandhkot, Sindh. The incide left two children with critical injuries.
Two sisters and one brother were among the deceased. They w e identified as seven-year-old Waheed, five-year-old Rehmat and three-year-old Nusrat. The injured and the bodies of the deceased were earlier shifted to a hospital. The bodies of the deceased were later handed over to the families. Death of the three children left every member of the family in deep shock and pain.
In another incident, two persons died and three others sustained critical injuries after a qingqi rickshaw overturned due to accumulation of rainwater on a road in Kandhkot. A man and a woman were among the deceased. The injured and the bodies of the deceased were shifted to a hospital. In Khairpur, two children lost their lives after being washed away in a flash flood.
The deceased were identified as Gauhar of Luqman Mohalla and Arbilo Jamali of Goth Jamali. The locals recovered their bodies on a self-help basis. The bodies were shifted to the Civil Hospital in Khairpur. It is to be noted here that flood-hit people are living helplessly on roads, and the incidents of children being washed away in flash floods are taking place as the people do not find any safe place.
In Nawabshah, a 50-foot wide breach occurred in a canal in Chandan Mori area, inundating several villages. The floodwater was making its advance fast, whereas, the officials of the Irrigation Department were absent from the scene. It merits a mention here that at least 60 to 70 villages lie next to Chandan Mori, and the residents of those villages have appealed to the authorities to plug the canal breach at the earliest.
90% of Larkana villages destroyed in flash flood: Deputy Commissioner Larkana Tariq Manzoor Chandio has said that the spell of monsoon has started in Larkana from July 15 and now this is the fourth spell that is going on continuously which has broken the previous record.
He said that 90% of the villages of the entire district have been destroyed and 70% of the city are affected. He further said that there are many people who are confined to their homes who need food, so we appeal to the people to come forward and help the government in rescuing people. He said that everyone, including the Chief Minister of Sindh, is busy helping the people. At this time, we appeal to you to help each other and support the government. He said that there has never been so much rain in history.
He claimed that at present there are at least 0.9 million people in the streets, camps and schools whom we are helping and providing them with ration, food and medicine, so we appeal to all of you to help the people and help the government in this difficult situation. Assistant Commissioner Larkana Ahmed Ali Soomro was also present on this occasion.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Ghanwar Ali Legahri accompanied by DIGP Mazhar Nawaz Shaikh visited various pumping stations in Larkana and also urged the people to help their brothers in this difficult time. Rain continued on Wednesday which complicated the already worst situation and worst affected were low lying areas where water accumulated.
Nawabshah airport closed after airfield gets flooded: The Nawabshah airport has been temporarily closed on Wednesday after torrential rains battered the city leaving the entire airfield flooded. According to details, flight operations – including take-off and landing – have been suspended at Nawabshah airport as heavy rains left entire airfield flooded.
The aerodrome will remain closed till August 26 due to the accumulation of water in the entire airfield. However, the Multan International Airport will be available as an alternate. Meanwhile, the concerned authorities have been directed to restore flight operation at Nawabshah Airport by clearing the airfield.
At least 263 people have been killed and over 700 have been injured in Sindh as heavy rains and floods continued to wreak havoc in the province. According to the data shared by Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Sindh, over 32 people were killed in past 24 hours in different rain-related incidents across the province, with most deaths reported from the Larkana division. “24 people died in Larkana while four each death was reported from Dadu, Sukkur and Jacobabad,” said the PDMA, adding that over 700 people were also injured as a result of heavy rians.