Balochistan in deep crisis amid heavy downpour

Balochistan [Pakistan], September 1 (ANI): Even though Cyclone 'Asna' has mostly left Sindh behind, Balochistan may still have thundershowers with heavy rainfall along its coastal districts until Sunday night, according to a senior official at the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), Dawn reported.
"The cyclone is moving away from both Sindh and Balochistan, though the latter's coastal parts are likely to experience rain-thundershowers with a few heavy falls till Asna dissipates at sea on Sunday before reaching Oman," Chief Meteorologist Dr Sardar Sarfaraz told Dawn.
This is the same system that began to dump a lot of rain over Balochistan on August 26 and eventually developed into a cyclone.
"At that time, it prevailed over east Rajasthan, India, in the form of a low pressure area, sending strong monsoon currents over Balochistan, where the conditions became critical due to flash floods and poor infrastructure," Sarfaraz said.
He stated that it is currently too early to comment on this particular weather system because weather systems go through several phases of intensity before becoming cyclones, in reference to media claims that another low-pressure system is forming over the Bay of Bengal, Dawn reported, citing PMD.
Cyclonic storm Asna is located approximately 370 kilometres away in the central Arabian Sea and is still moving westward, according to a PMD advisory issued on Saturday night.
According to a PMD advisory released on Saturday night, cyclonic storm Asna over the Central Arabian Sea continued to move further westward and lies at a distance of about 370km southwest of Karachi, 250km southwest of Ormara and 260km southeast of Gwadar, reported Dawn.
It is important to note that flash floods and heavy monsoon rains continued to wreak havoc in Balochistan on Saturday, destroying a large portion of the province's road infrastructure and forcing hundreds of families to flee as countless houses collapsed.
Following immense destruction of the Quetta-Chaman route, Afghan transit trade has been suspended until things return to normalcy.
Citing officials, Dawn reported that at least 13 people were swept away in flash floods that hit Loralai, Qila Saifullah, Duki, Harnai, and Jhal Magsi areas of Balochistan.
In Loralai, seven family members were trapped in floodwater, but rescue workers and Levies personnel rescued them after a five-hour effort. PDMA officials said Bolan, Nari Gaj, Lehri, and Mola rivers, as well as other seasonal streams, were carrying heavy floodwater. (ANI)