Cyclone Havoc in Baluchistan

Posted on June 29, 2007
Filed Under Environment, >> Owais Mughal, Disasters
43 Comments
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Owais Mughal

nullBaluchistan was hit by a cyclone named ‘Yemyeni’ four days ago and it has caused widespread havoc. BBC news site is reporting that 800000 people have been affected. Today there are even reports of rioting by the hungry people waiting for aid to arrive. Worst affected area is reported to be Turbat where water over ran the embankments of Mirani dam. Government aid has started pouring in slowly but a lot needs to be done. The detailed news about the cyclone and rain havoc across Baluchistan is all over the national and international media therefore at ATP we will let following images do the talking. The title photo above is of a submerged Turbat mosque.
These photos have been linked to the news sites and clicking on them will take you to their parent websites.

(2)

road2turbat In this photo, the main road to Turbat is seen washed away in a flash flood. This photo is from thursday, June 28, 2007. Turbat city which has a population of 150000 is also without drinking water and electricity. Government of Pakistan has confirmed 14 deaths and 23 missing as of friday but this number may go higher once the water recedes.

(3)
rain-protestIn the photo to the right, angry protestors are seen walking towards the ‘nazim’ (mayor’s) office of Turbat. They are protesting slow and meager aid reaching their villages. The water from the hand-drwan wells has been rendered undrinkable due to floods and tube-wells which draw water from much deeper could not be operated because of power failure. Rauf Rind, nazim (mayor) of Kech said:
“The entire town has been inundated and people have taken refuge in tall buildings and trees”.
Chakar Baloch who walked more than 40 km through the night to reach Turbat said:
“Every family is looking for one or two members”.
Others feared they would never see their missing family members again.

(4) and (5)
rescuerescue2 Photos above show Government’s effort underway to help marooned people. Photo to the left above shows Pakistan Airforce’s C130 at Pasni airport bringing relief goods on thursday, June 28, 2007. Photo to the right above shows Pakistan Army rescuing Hindu pilgrims who got stranded in a temple in Aghor (160 km west of Karachi) after flash floods in Hingol river.

More photos of Baluchistan rains can be seen at BBC news site here.

43 comments posted

Comment Pages: « 6 5 4 [3] 2 1 »

  1. Adil Najam says:
    July 2nd, 2007 1:14 pm

    The destruction and damage in Balochistan continues to increase and the forecasts suggests that things in Sindh may also deteriorate. I have poured over various reports of this situation as well as our own (mine included) comments here and wonder if we are all too concerned about the political implications of this with very little concern for teh human dimensions of this tragedy.

    News update from Dawn:

    QUETTA, July 1: Balochistan has suffered a loss of around Rs10 billion because of cyclone and flood which severely affected over two million people in 15 districts and destroyed roads and communication network. More deaths were reported from different areas of the province on Sunday. The provincial government confirmed over 100 deaths and said that the toll could increase as a large number of people were still missing.

    …

    Thousands of marooned people were rescued and taken to safe places. The most affected districts are Turbat, Gwadar, Nasirabad, Jaffarabad, Jhal Magsi, Bolan, Kharan, Khuzdar, Washak and Nushki. More bodies were found in the Nal area of Khuzdar district where 10 villages have been washed away by flash floods caused by a breach in a dam on Friday night.

    Officials confirmed that 42 bodies had been recovered. Tahir Bizenjo, a former senator of the National Party, claimed that 50 bodies had been found while hundreds of people were missing. “Nothing is left in the villages. All mud-houses have been washed away,� Mohammad Aslam, a resident of Nal, told Dawn by telephone. The officials confirmed a large number of deaths in the area. They said casualties had also been reported in Jhal Magsi, Awaran, Kharan, Bolan, Kalat, Turbat, Sibi districts and other parts of Balochistan.

    Heavy rains continued in Jhal Magsi, Nasirabad and Jaffarabad areas, causing flash flood and breaching Dori canal near the Magsi Kot area. Several dozen villages were submerged in water gushing out of the canal. “Floodwater entered nine union councils following the breach in the canal,� Relief Commissioner Khuda Bakhsh said, adding that the situation in the Bagh Head area of Jaffarabad district had worsened.

    The officials said that rains also lashed Bolan district and the Bolan river was in high flood. Gas supply to Quetta and four other districts have remained suspended for four days. Many houses collapsed in the Mach area. Four members of a family died when roof of their house collapsed on Sunday morning.

    Reports reaching here also said that thousands of mine workers were stranded in coal mines areas of Mach, Degari and Surrang as all roads had been washed away.The situation in Jhal Magsi was the same and several thousand people marooned after floodwater entered the township after washing away of a dyke around the Jhal Magsi town built for flood protection.Provincial Home Secretary Tariq Ayub told reporters that according to initial estimates, Balochistan suffered a loss of around Rs10 billion as all roads, communication system and other infrastructure had been completely destroyed. “Losses could be between Rs9 and Rs10 billion,� he said, adding that around two million people of 15 flood- and cyclone-affected districts severely affected and tens of thousands rendered homeless.

  2. symk says:
    July 2nd, 2007 12:17 pm

    I agree the media’s role has been very pathetic, people in balochistan are already feeling alienated and are particularly very sensitive since the killing of Bugti. The whole country should have responded to the call and the grant of 20 crores by the prime minister is just outrageous. When there was a cyclone in 1970 in east pakistan the poor response of the government played into the hands of Mujib and awami league and convinced bengalis that no one is interested in their plight in west pakistan.
    We should not repeat same follies again.

  3. baber says:
    July 2nd, 2007 9:21 am

    Owais don’t be sensitive to criticism of the govts efforts. Its a provence controlled by the capital. I am pretty sure the nuclear power country and its people could have done much better. Response to the earthquake was better then the cyclone. We haven’t seen that kind of enthusiasm as we saw during earthquake from people as well as the govt. Its not politics to say that it is a less cared about province.

  4. Ammar says:
    July 2nd, 2007 7:38 am

    Please read a very different & thought provoking article on rains from following link

    http://kashifhafeez.com/mazameen_large.php?path=20 07-06-29&img=kh_articles/large/2007-06-29.gif

    MUST READ IT

  5. Kruman says:
    July 1st, 2007 9:55 pm

    Hamid Mir and Musharraf:
    http://jang.com.pk/jang/jul2007-daily/02-07-2007/c ol1.htm

  6. Owais Mughal says:
    July 1st, 2007 8:14 pm

    With most of the communications channels cut including the roads, telephone, electricity and air-strips, I believe govt must be facing real challenges in reaching out to the people. Coastal highway which was built with standards at par, if not better, than any other major highway in Pakistan is also washed away at places which shows nature’s power against human planning. The sense of resentment and deprivation among Baluchis may be very valid; I Somehow do not feel any appeal in raising nationalistic flag in this hour of need. Whoever is providing help (Govt or private) should be encouraged. help people first and do ’syasat’ later.

    That being said, in 1970 one of the worst cyclones of modern history had hit the then East Pakistan with a life loss of more than 100 thousand. West Pakistan was blamed for not coming to aid in time. The books I’ve read on East Pakistan debacle all cite that cyclone of 1970 as one of the major (among others) reasons when people seriously got alienated from center at the apathy. The matter was ofcourse fueled by nationalist parties too.

    Similarities of that calamity of 1970 which I read in books and the present one which I see/read in news come natural to me. Therefore dealing with this problem on humanitarian (and not political) grounds immediately is what I think is needed.

  7. baber says:
    July 1st, 2007 6:29 pm

    Thanks MQ.
    Its an eye opener. Must be read by pro musharraf and my punjabi brothers who think and make excuse that the sardars are the reasons for Balochistan under development. The link is here.

  8. MQ says:
    July 1st, 2007 6:09 pm

    Here is the link:

Comment Pages: « 6 5 4 [3] 2 1 »


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