Balochistan govt fails to evacuate flood affectees from Lasbela, Jhal Magsi
“No helicopter no rescue worker”, a young black-bearded man lamented in a video widely shared on social media networks on Wednesday.
The man said a child died after the whole area was flooded following heavy rainfall. “For the last three days, we have not received any aid,” he said.
The death toll in the floods and rains-related incidents rose to 106 in Balochistan. People made passionate appeals to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to expedite relief work and evacuate stranded people.
Ilyas Jamot, a resident of Bela, said his entire family including women and children had taken refuge at the edge of floods and some of them are at the top of a hut-like house.
So far, neither Chief Minister Mir Quddus Bizenjo nor any provincial minister visited the floods-hit areas including Lasbela and Jhal Magsi.
Hundreds of passengers travelling on the Quetta-Karachi highway have taken refuge at hotels located on the highway. “Hotel owners are charging high prices from us,” Muhammad Arif, a passenger from Quetta told The Express Tribune via telephone. “The condition of the passengers is miserable here,” he said.
Chief Minister Bizenjo ordered the use of a government helicopter to evacuate the stranded people. However, the helicopter evacuated a limited number of flood affectees and could not reach the people due to bad weather conditions.
Recent floods have badly exposed the PDMA and the people have demanded of the government to reform and improve the capacity of the staff of the authority.
