Gas supply was suspended to Quetta and other areas as another alternate gas pipeline also swept way in the flood water while four more deaths were reported in the rain and fold related incidents which put the toll deaths number 236.
The bridge, which was connecting Quetta with three other provinces of Pakistan, collapsed in the wee hours of Thursday. “It was one of the major railway bridges in Bolan Pass connecting Balochistan with Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pukhtoonkhawa province,” a senior official of Pakistan Railway said, adding that with the collapsing of this bridge the train link with other provinces remain suspended for an indefinite period.
With the washing out of this bridge the Afghan transit trade, import and export with Iran and Turkey through railway has been also suspended as the goods train plying between Pakistan-Iran and Turkey will also halt which runs from Islamabad via Quetta to Iran and
Turkey.
Railways officials said that the area where the bridge was washed away is under heavy flood water as torrential rains continue causing heavy flooding in Bolan and other streams. “The main supporting pillar of the bridge was washed away which caused the
collapse of the bridge,” sources said.
“Train service between Quetta and other provinces will remain suspended for an indefinite period as repairing or constructing a new bridge will take a long time,” a senior official of Pakistan Railway told said, adding that the Railway engineers have visited the collapsed bridge. However, he said that work for replacing the damaged The bridge will be launched on war footing bases for restoring rail links between Quetta and the rest of the country.
The train service is already suspended between Quetta and Sukkur for the last one week as the main track is under flood water near Notal and Dear Murad Jamali.
Meanwhile, heavy flood also swept away another gas pipeline passing through the Bolan River near Bibi Nani area suspending gas supply to Quetta and other districts of Balochistan. The main gas pipeline of 24 inches diameter was already washed away in the same area last week and Sui southern which could not be repaired despite passage of over a week time “With the sweeping way alternate gas pipelines of 12 inch are causing gas suspension to the areas including Quetta, Pishin, Mastung, Kalat,” SSGC spokesman Salman Siddiqui said. He said that soon after the incident, SSGC launched repair work, however due to continuous rains and flooding, the damaged gas pipeline could not be repaired. He said that people should arrange alternate sources of gas as repairing will take time.
The heavy rains and floods were continuing in 28 districts of Balochistan, which played havoc as more villages in Nasirabad, Jhal Magsi, Dera Allahyar, Sibi and Bolan were inundated. Officials said that Bolan, Lehri and Nari rivers were carrying high flood. “Heavy flood threatening a main Bibi Nani bridge,” official sources said, adding that Bolan River was carrying over 80000 cusecs flood water. There are reports about damage to the Bibi Nani bridge but not officially confirmed. Road lines also could not be restored between Balochistan and other provinces.