Islamabad, July 30 (UNI) Heavy rains and flash floods have severely disrupted overland trade between Pakistan and Iran after the Quetta-Zahedan rail track was washed away at various points and also brought Afghan transit trade to a halt due to flooding at the Pak-Afghan border and adjoining areas, Dawn reported on Saturday.
The railway track was damaged at three points after heavy rains last night lashed Chagai and Naushki districts and caused flash floods that also washed away around 100 houses and swept away the bridge linking Naushki with Quetta-Taftan national highway.
A senior official said that the track was damaged at Naushki-Ahmedwall, Dalbandin-yak-Mach and Nokkundi-Taftan sessions.
Officials further said that four goods train enroute Zahedan loaded with rice have been stopped at Dalbandin station while train coming to Quetta carrying sulphur has been stopped at Yakmach station.
A Pakistan Railways (PR) said that 30 breaches occurred on the track in Dalbandin section and it would take at least three days to complete the repair works, adding that flash floods were continuously coming from mountainous areas, hampering rehabilitation work.
The friendship gate at the Pak-Afghan border in Chaman was also closed after heavy rains and floods at the Quetta-Kandahar highway that suspended trade activities.
Long queues of trucks carrying goods could be seen on both sides of the borders waiting for the resumption of trade activities.
Meanwhile, the road link of Balochistan with Sindh was completely cut off after a bridge and a road connecting the two provinces were damaged in Lasbela and Khuzdar, respectively.
The traffic on Quetta-Karachi highway was still suspended due to collapsing of major bridges and sweeping away of big portions of the highway.
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