More than 200 people, including nearly 100 children, have lost their lives and over 500 were injured in rain-related incidents since the onset of Monsoon in late June, Geo TV reported on Saturday, citing Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Pakistan's Punjab records the highest casualties
According to official data cited by Geo TV, Pakistan's Punjab province recorded the highest number of casualties with 123 deaths. This was followed by 40 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 21 in Sindh, 16 in Balochistan, and one death each in Islamabad and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The causes of death varied: at least 118 people died in house collapses, 30 were killed in flash floods, while others lost their lives due to drowning, lightning strikes, electrocution, and landslides. Additionally, the heavy rains have injured over 560 people, including 182 children.
It further reported that in Rawalpindi, flash floods surged through homes, streets, and markets, submerging entire neighbourhoods. In some areas, water levels rose so high they reached rooftops, forcing residents to flee and abandon their belongings.
Faisalabad also suffered significant damage, with 11 deaths and 60 injuries reported across 33 incidents in just two days. Most of these fatalities were caused by the collapse of weakened buildings.
Heavy rainfall and landslides destroyed infrastructure
Pakistan's Punjab saw heavy rainfall and landslides that destroyed infrastructure. At least 32 roads in Chakwal were washed away after over 450mm of rainfall.
Along with infrastructure damage, communication links remain severed, and the power supply is yet to be restored in several regions.
According to a recent report by UN News, there are also fears of glacier lake outburst floods in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan regions.
UN News highlighted how these floods show Pakistan's vulnerability to climate shocks. In the past in 2022, the monsoon floods had killed more than 1,700 people, displaced millions and devastated water systems. It had also resulted in economic damage estimated at nearly USD 40 billion.
Pakistan regularly experiences monsoon flooding from June to September, which frequently leads to deadly landslides, extensive infrastructure damage, and mass displacement, especially in densely populated areas or regions with inadequate drainage systems.
(With ANI inputs)
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