• Power outages, gas shortages hit residents hard amid freezing temperature
• Several roads blocked; machinery deployed; public urged to stay home

QUETTA: Heavy downpour and snowfall blanketed the Quetta valley and vast parts of northern and central Balochistan on Thursday, ending a long dry spell but paralysing normal life.

The severe weather blocked major highways, cutting off the provincial capital, while lashing Siberian winds caused temperatures to plummet across the region.

Authorities reported that six members of a family were injured when their vehicle skidded off the Quetta-Karachi national highway in the Surab area of Kalat district due to freezing snow. The injured were shifted to a district hospital.

Consequently, officials suspended traffic on various highways connecting Balochistan with other provinces and linking remote districts to Quetta, citing dangerous, slippery conditions caused by high-speed icy winds.

The extreme weather affected more than just transportation. Cities and towns connected to the Sui Southern Gas Company, inclu­ding Quetta, suffered long power breakouts and low gas pressure.

These utility failures caused significant hardship for residents facing freezing temperatures, which were recorded between minus 8 and minus 12 degrees Celsius in Quetta, Ziarat, Kalat, Mastung, Kan Mehtarzai, Khanozai, Muslim Bagh, Qila Abdullah, Sanjavi and many other cities.

The Met Office forecast more rain and snowfall in the next 24 hours due to Siberian winds, which have also frozen large areas in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, residents witnessed Quetta wearing a “white blanket” for the first time in at least five years. The last heavy snowfall occurred in 2020, when the capital received 3 feet of snow and northern parts saw up to 6 feet, leaving the province cut off for days.

Mountains surrounding the valley, including Hanna Lake and Urak Valley, turned white, prompting locals to flock to these areas to enjoy the season’s first snow.

The other areas of the province that received snowfall and rain included Pishin, Qila Abdullah, Ziarat, Qila Saifullah, Muslim Bagh, Khanozai, Kan Mehtarzai, Chaman, Toba Achakzai, Mastung, Kalat, Harboi, Surab, Toba Kakari, Sanjavi, Duki and other areas.

According to sources, Ziarat, Khanozai, Muslim Bagh, Kalat, Toba Achakzai and Toba Kakari received two to three feet of snow.

Traffic on the highway from Balochistan to D.I. Khan and Islamabad via Zhob was suspended due to snow. The Khojak Pass to Afghanistan via Chaman was also closed to prevent accidents.

Authorities worked to clear highways and spread salt to melt ice. The public was advised to avoid unnecessary travel as heavy machinery helped restore traffic.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2026