ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday warned of more monsoon rains and possible flooding as this year’s rainy season killed 109 people and injured 362 since June 26, according to the latest data released by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The figures underscore the growing toll of the annual monsoon season, which has also damaged 799 houses, washed away more than 23 kilometers of roads, damaged 25 bridges and killed 379 livestock since June 26, according to the NDMA’s daily situation report.
The NDMA said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had recorded the highest number of fatalities with 55 deaths, followed by Punjab with 36, while Punjab reported the highest number of injuries at 263. House collapses were the leading cause of monsoon-related deaths, accounting for more than half of all fatalities recorded this season.
The authority said no deaths were reported during the latest 24-hour reporting period, though two people were injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Buner district and three houses were damaged.
The national figures come as floodwaters inundated villages in Punjab’s Muridke area, forcing residents from their homes and leaving many stranded without electricity, clean drinking water or food.
“The floodwater came at night when all of us were asleep. It was around 3:00 a.m. when the floodwater reached our area,” Muhammad Ramzan, a 45-year-old laborer whose home collapsed in the flooding, told AFP.
“Everything was destroyed. We couldn’t save a single thing.”
Another resident, Iqra Salman, said rescue boats had yet to reach her neighborhood.
“We have no electricity, no clean water, and now we have completely run out of food supplies. We are surrounded by floodwater on all sides. There are small children with us. At the very least, we urge the authorities to rescue us as soon as possible,” she told AFP.
Muhammad Faisal, another resident, said floodwaters had cut off his neighborhood for several days.
“Our children are trapped inside their homes, hungry and thirsty, with no one coming to their aid. For the past four days, we have been without electricity, and our supply of drinking water has been completely exhausted,” Faisal said.
Haris Dar, a rescue volunteer, said dozens of villages remained submerged as teams continued evacuating stranded residents while distributing food to affected families:
“As the water level continues to rise, relief efforts have expanded to include the distribution of food.”
Pakistan experiences heavy monsoon rains every year, with flooding frequently damaging homes, crops and infrastructure. In 2022, unprecedented monsoon floods submerged a third of the country, killed more than 1,700 people and affected about 33 million, making them among the worst natural disasters in Pakistan’s history.
With additional inputs by AFP
