Monsoon Rains Cause Fatalities Across Pakistan

Islamabad: Authorities reported that severe rainfall and consequent flash floods have resulted in 45 deaths across Pakistan within days of the monsoon season’s commencement.

Regional Breakdown of Casualties

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province experienced the highest casualty rate, with 21 individuals deceased, including 10 children.

Swat Valley Incident

Reports indicate that in the Swat Valley, a flash flood tragically swept away multiple families situated along a riverbank, leading to 14 fatalities.

Punjab has documented 13 deaths since last Wednesday. Among these, eight children perished due to the collapse of structures amid heavy rainfall, while the remaining adults died in flash floods.

Furthermore, Sindh and Balochistan provinces have collectively reported 11 deaths attributed to the ongoing monsoon downpours.

Weather Service Alert

The meteorological department has issued warnings, emphasizing that the potential for substantial rainfall and subsequent flash floods will persist until at least Saturday.

In the preceding month, severe storms led to at least 32 deaths nationwide. The country has been subject to multiple extreme weather occurrences this past spring, featuring significant hailstorms.

Pakistan is highly susceptible to the consequences of climate change, with its population of 240 million increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather patterns.

Weather Advisory Details

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has cautioned that intense rainfall could trigger flash floods in local waterways across regions including Murree, Galiat, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Swat, Shangla, Malakand, Dir, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Kohistan, Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi, and Kashmir.

The advisory also mentioned, “Substantial rains might initiate flash floods in local streams and hill torrents of Musakhel, Barkhan, Khuzdar, Lasbella, and Kalat.”

Additionally, the statement highlighted the possibility of windstorms and lightning disrupting daily activities and causing damage to vulnerable structures, utility poles, billboards, vehicles, and solar panels during the forecast period.

Landslides may impede road accessibility in susceptible mountainous areas of KP, Murree, Galliyat, and Kashmir throughout the wet conditions, it was added.

The weather authorities predict rain and thunderstorms at scattered locations in Kashmir, North-East Punjab, the Potohar region, Islamabad, and upper KP on Monday.

“Isolated instances of heavy rainfall are anticipated during the morning hours. Hot and humid conditions are expected in other parts of the country [tomorrow],” the department stated.