Pakistan Monsoon Rains and Floods Cause 107 Deaths, 344 Injured

Kathmandu. The death toll from continuous rains and floods since the monsoon began in Pakistan has reached 107. In addition, 344 people have been injured and hundreds of houses have been damaged, the Pakistani National Disaster Management Authority said.  

According to the authority, 55 people have died in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the highest number in rain-related incidents since the end of June. After that, 36 people have lost their lives in Punjab province. Most deaths have been reported due to house or roof collapses.

At least 17 relief camps have been established in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province and Pakistan's second-largest city, to house flood-affected people in safe locations.  

According to a senior official of the Punjab Irrigation Department, about 400 square kilometers of land in Lahore and Gujranwala areas are submerged in water.

He described the current situation as looking like a vast inland sea. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif informed that emergency rescue teams have been deployed across the province and work to drain water from submerged areas is being intensified.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, there is no possibility of a major flood until Tuesday, but a new rain system is expected to become active from Wednesday.  

Its impact is expected in Islamabad, upper Punjab, Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit-Baltistan regions. According to the department, the Ravi River is currently flowing at a medium flood level, while the water flow in most other major rivers is at a normal to low level.

Officials have urged residents of riverbanks and low-lying areas to remain alert and move to safer locations if necessary. According to analysts, many cities in Pakistan are at high risk of flooding due to rapid urbanization and unplanned settlement expansion.  

Last year too, devastating floods in Pakistan caused the deaths of 1,037 people, displaced about 2 million people, and killed lakhs of livestock. In addition, a large amount of crops were also damaged.