Death toll from two weeks of monsoon rains in Pakistan rises to at least 55

Death toll from two weeks of monsoon rains in Pakistan rises to at least 55
Passengers disembark from a train at a flooded railway station after heavy rainfall in Lahore on July 5, 2023. (AFP)
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Updated 07 July 2023
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Death toll from two weeks of monsoon rains in Pakistan rises to at least 55

Death toll from two weeks of monsoon rains in Pakistan rises to at least 55
  • The eastern city of Lahore witnessed a record-breaking downpour the previous day, flooding many streets and disrupting normal life 
  • The rains have returned to Pakistan a year after climate-induced downpours swelled rivers, inundated a third of country at one point  

LAHORE: The death toll from two weeks of monsoon rains rose to at least 55 on Thursday after 12 people, including eight children, died in weather-related incidents in Pakistan amid fears of flash floods, authorities said.
The eastern city of Lahore witnessed a record-breaking downpour the previous day, flooding many streets and disrupting normal life. Since Wednesday, 19 people have died in the city due to collapsing roofs and electrocution, officials said. Pakistan's weather forecast agency warned of more rain to hit the city.
At least eight children died when a massive landslide hit Shangla, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, officials said. Rescuers were trying to remove a large mud pile for fear that other missing children were buried.
Heavy rain also continued to lash the impoverished nation, overflowing the main rivers in the Punjab province, Jhelum and Chenab, prompting the disaster management agency to be on high alert for fear of flash floods.
The rains have returned to Pakistan a year after the climate-induced downpour swelled rivers and inundated at one point one-third of Pakistan, killing 1,739 people. The floods also caused $30 billion in damage in cash-strapped Pakistan in 2022.