Rains, mudslides force people to flee quake zone

People have started fleeing earthquake-affected areas of NWFP as landslides fears mounted after three members of a family died Thursday night when floodwater swept their house in Kaghan valley.
The incident that took place in Gulderi village near Garhi Habibullah, some 20 kilometres south of worst-hit Balakot town, flattened some 250 houses and forced their inhabitants to spend night on the mountain tops.
The deceased were identified as 35-year-old Safia, wife of Jalilur Rehman, and her two sons, Muhammad Ahmad (9) and one-year-old Ahmad Mahmood.
Torrential rains that triggered massive mudslides and flooded Kunhar River that flows through Kaghan valley have frightened the last year's earthquake survivors right from start of the monsoon season.
The incident took place three days after mudslide swept makeshift tents of earthquake survivors in a village near Muzaffarabad, killing 12 of them.
On the same day, a brother and a sister were killed when a wall of a house collapsed in Garhi Habibullah town.
The repeated landslides and torrential rains have mounted fears among the quake survivors, who are now looking for some safer places to spend the monsoon season.
Police officials told Business Recorder from Garhi Habibullah that the speedy flow of water from mountains down to valley forced Kunhar River to change its course that caused such a huge damage.
Muhammad Aashiq, reader at Garhi Habibullah police station, said the local administration had already warned the people and shifted them to safer places.
"Had the people not warned before the flooding, the casualty figure would have been much higher," Aashiq told this correspondent.
A resident of Hassa village near Balakot town said he saw many frightened families leaving the area with their belongings.
"Today, I have been seeing many families carrying their luggage, walking down from mountains and looking for safer places," Raza Muhammad told this correspondent from Balakot.
Meanwhile, the met office has predicted more rains in the quake-hit zone that could bring more miseries to survivors.