ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s monsoon death toll rose to 86 after five more people were killed in rain-related incidents over the past 24 hours, disaster management authorities said on Friday, as forecasters warned another spell of heavy rainfall could trigger urban flooding and flash floods across large parts of the country through Monday.
The latest fatalities included four children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one man in Punjab, while 31 others were injured, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The fresh weather warning comes after weeks of monsoon rains that have battered much of Pakistan, triggering flash floods, collapsing homes and damaging infrastructure.
“More rain thundershowers are predicted in southern/central parts including Sindh from Friday evening/night to Monday,” the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said in a weather advisory.
It warned that heavy rainfall could cause urban flooding in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Bahawalpur, Sukkur, Hyderabad and several other cities, while strong winds and lightning could damage weak structures, including electricity poles, solar panels and billboards, during the forecast period.
The weather department said a low-pressure area over southwest Rajasthan in India was influencing weather systems ove0r southern and central Pakistan, bringing widespread rain and thunderstorms to Sindh, Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir over the coming days.
Since the start of the monsoon season on June 26, the rains have killed 86 people and injured 272 others nationwide, according to NDMA data.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has recorded the highest death toll with 51 fatalities, followed by Punjab with 22, Balochistan with six and Azad Kashmir with seven.
House collapses have accounted for the majority of deaths during the current monsoon season, while flash floods, lightning, electrocution and other rain-related incidents have also claimed lives.
Authorities advised travelers to remain cautious during the forecast period, while farmers were urged to take precautionary measures to protect standing crops and livestock.
Emergency agencies were also instructed to remain on alert and take necessary measures to respond to any weather-related emergencies.
