Authorities say 38 have been killed and 120 injured since June 26 when monsoon rains hit Pakistan.
Heavy rains have caused flooding on the Zhob-Dera national highway, resulting in the closure of the highway PHOTO: EXPRESS
At least 38 people have been killed and 120 injured since the start of the monsoon season on June 26, with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) recording the highest death toll at 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 injuries with 64, followed by KP with 43 and Balochistan with 13.
The NDMA said house collapses remain the leading cause of monsoon-related deaths, accounting for 65.8% of all deaths. Lightning was responsible for 15.8% of deaths, followed by flash floods with 7.9%. Incidents involving solar panels 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 animals were also killed, while 3.12 kilometers of roads were damaged, including 2.52 kilometers in GB and 0.6 kilometers in KP. No damage has been reported to any bridge. Rescue teams carried out 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 plants, solar lamps, boats and other emergency supplies by provincial authorities, the federal government and humanitarian organizations in the affected areas.
The NDMA said no deaths, injuries, damage to houses or loss of livestock were reported during the last 24 hours. The only incident recorded was the blocking of a 0.1 kilometer stretch of the Chipursan Highway in Hunza, GB, caused by rain-related disturbances. Authorities later restored traffic after clearing the obstruction.
Also read: PMD warns of heavy rain, flash floods and landslides in Pakistan from July 18 to 25
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned that monsoon activity is expected to intensify across much of the country from July 18 (tomorrow), with widespread rain, windstorms and thunderstorms forecast until July 25, increasing the risk of flash floods, urban flooding and landslides.
In a weather advisory issued, the Meteorological Office said monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea are “continuously penetrating the upper and central parts of the country” and are likely to strengthen over the weekend.
The PMD warned that windstorms and lightning “could 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 flash floods are likely to occur in local streams and nullahs across KP, North East Punjab, Islamabad, GB, Dera Ghazi Khan hill torrents and North East Balochistan during periods of heavy rainfall.
Read more: Rain-related incidents kill nine, injure 28 in KP, Punjab
Last year’s monsoon season caused widespread devastation across Pakistan, claiming more than 1,000 lives and causing damages estimated at 822 billion rupees (about $2.9 billion), according to the government’s assessment. According to Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, the agricultural sector suffered the largest losses, estimated at Rs 430 billion, while damage to infrastructure amounted to Rs 307 billion.
More than 312,000 homes were affected across the country, of which Punjab accounts 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 cattle and destroying millions of tons of crops, including cotton, rice and sugar cane.
This is unprecedented. The 2022 floods caused $30 billion in economic losses and required $16.3 billion to rebuild. A World Bank assessment found that 82% of the losses were agricultural, affecting 4.4 million acres of agricultural land and 800,000 livestock.
Sindh was the worst affected then, accounting for almost 70% of the damage, while Balochistan and KP also suffered deeply. Those floods claimed 1,700 lives, displaced 33 million people and caused $40 billion in devastation across the country.
