At least 27 people were killed and 18 wounded in rain-related incidents in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and eastern Punjab provinces in the last three days, official statements revealed on Thursday, as heavy monsoon rains with flash floods lashed parts of the country.
The monsoon season is crucial for the region, providing essential water for agriculture, which is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy. However, unprecedented cloudbursts driven by climate change have increasingly turned this vital weather pattern into a threat.
Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority warned earlier this week on Monday strong monsoon currents from the Bay of Bengal would trigger heavy rains and flash floods in Punjab, Azad Kashmir, Sindh and KP province.
“As a result of accidents due to recent rains, 24 people died and 17 people were injured during the last three days in KP,” the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) of KP said on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Punjab PDMA also mentioned the death of three people in Lahore in the last 12 hours and injuries to one.
A total of 150 houses were damaged in KP due to gusty winds and heavy rainfall of which 77 were partially damaged while 73 were destroyed, it said.
In Punjab, the eastern city of Lahore recorded the most amount of rainfall measuring at 337 millimeters with local media channels showing footage of roads, houses and even hospitals being inundated by floodwater.
“In the last 24 hours, Lahore recorded 337 mm, Gujranwala 123mm, Narowal 70mm, Kasur 62mm, Hafizabad 23mm and Sialkot 11 mm of rain,” the Punjab PDMA said.
Warning that monsoon rains would continue till August 6, it informed arrangements were in place for vulnerable districts with a high risk of flooding. The statement said there was also a high risk of flooding in the Indus and Chenab Rivers.
The top Punjab PDMA official, Irfan Ali Kathia, reaffirmed that control rooms were monitoring the situation.
He requested people to take precautionary measures and avoid touching electrical wires or poles.
“The public should stay away from mud houses and dilapidated buildings,” Kathia said. “Take special care of children and do not allow them near accumulated water in low-lying areas.”
Source: Arab News
BDST: 1717 HRS, AUG 01, 2024
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