Authorities say 38 have died and 120 injured since June 26 when monsoon rains hit Pakistan
Heavy rain has caused flooding on the Zhob-Dera National Highway resulting in the road being closed PHOTO: EXPRESS
At least 38 people have been killed and 120 injured since the onset of the monsoon season on June 26, with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) recording the highest death toll of 23, according to the National Disaster Management Authority’s (NDMA) latest daily situation report released on Friday.
According to the report, Punjab recorded 10 deaths and Balochistan five, while no deaths have been reported in Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) or Islamabad. Punjab also recorded the highest number of casualties, with 64, followed by KP with 43 and Balochistan with 13.
The NDMA said house collapse remained the leading cause of monsoon-related deaths, accounting for 65.8% of all deaths. Lightning strikes were responsible for 15.8% of deaths, followed by flash floods at 7.9%. Solar panel incidents and drowning each accounted for 2.6% of deaths, while falling trees and electrocution were also responsible for 2.6% each.
Since June 26, monsoon-related incidents have damaged 150 houses, including 68 that were destroyed and 82 that were partially damaged, the report said. A total of 177 livestock have also died while 3.12 kilometers of roads have been damaged, including 2.52 km in GB and 0.6 km in KP. No damage to bridges has been reported. Rescue teams have conducted 50 operations and rescued 466 people, including 300 in GB, 116 in KP and 50 in Punjab.
The authority said relief efforts since the start of the monsoon season have included the distribution of tents, blankets, food packets, ration bags, hygiene kits, tarpaulins, drinking water, water filtration systems, solar lamps, boats and other emergency supplies from provincial authorities, the federal government and humanitarian organizations across affected areas.
The NDMA said no deaths, injuries, damage to houses or loss of livestock have been reported in the last 24 hours. The only recorded incident was the blocking of a 0.1 kilometer stretch of Chipursan Road in Hunza, GB, caused by rain-related disturbances. Authorities later restored traffic after clearing the obstruction.
Read also: PMD warns of heavy rains, floods and landslides across Pakistan from 18-25. July
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warned that monsoon activity is expected to intensify over large parts of the country from July 18 (tomorrow), with widespread rain, gusty winds and thunderstorms till July 25, increasing the risk of flash floods, urban flooding and landslides.
In a weather advisory issued, the Met Office said the monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea are “continually penetrating the upper and central parts of the country” and are likely to intensify over the weekend.
The PMD warned that windstorms and lightning “may damage weak structures (solar panels, electric poles, billboards, etc.)” during the forecast period. It also warned that landslides could occur in vulnerable areas of upper KP, Murree, Galiyat and Kashmir, while flooding is likely in local streams and nullahs across KP, northeast Punjab, Islamabad, GB, hill streams in Dera Ghazi Khan and northeast Balochistan with heavy rainfall.
Read more: Rain-related incidents kill nine, injure 28 across KP, Punjab
Last year’s monsoon season caused widespread devastation across Pakistan, claiming more than 1,000 lives and causing an estimated Rs 822 billion (about $2.9 billion) in damage, according to government estimates. According to Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, the agriculture sector suffered the biggest losses, estimated at Rs430b, while damage to infrastructure amounted to Rs307b.
More than 312,000 homes were affected nationwide, with Punjab accounting for the vast majority. The floods also damaged 2,811 kilometers of roads, more than 2,200 educational institutions and 250 health facilities, while 866 water supply systems were affected. The disaster also dealt a heavy blow to the agricultural sector, killing more than 2,200 livestock and destroying millions of tons of crops, including cotton, rice and sugarcane.
This is not without precedent. The 2022 floods caused $30 billion in economic losses and required $16.3 billion for reconstruction. A World Bank assessment found that 82% of the losses were agricultural products, affecting 4.4 million acres of farmland and 800,000 livestock.
Sindh bore the brunt then, accounting for nearly 70% of the damage, while Balochistan and KP also suffered deeply. These floods claimed 1,700 lives, displaced 33 million people, and caused $40 billion worth of damage nationwide.
