ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s monsoon death toll rose to 121 on Thursday after eight more people died in rain-related incidents over the past 24 hours, disaster management authorities said, warning of more heavy rainfall and flash floods across parts of the country.
Since the start of the monsoon season on June 26, the rains have killed 121 people and injured 381 others while damaging 901 houses, washing away roads and bridges and triggering rescue operations across several provinces. The latest fatalities come as forecasters warn of another spell of heavy rain in the coming days, raising concerns of further flooding and infrastructure damage.
Seven of the latest deaths were reported in Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, where six people were killed in house collapses and one drowned. One person also drowned in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the Pakistan-administered part of the disputed Himalayan region.
“The committee reviewed the response measures undertaken by federal ministries, provincial governments and district administrations, and acknowledged their tireless efforts in safeguarding communities, conducting rescue operations, providing relief assistance and restoring essential services in affected areas,” the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said after a meeting of the federal Emergency Response Committee chaired by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal.
The committee also reviewed the latest hydrological situation and potential weather hazards, with authorities directing all government departments to maintain close coordination, sustain preparedness measures and expedite relief and rehabilitation efforts in affected areas.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has reported the highest number of monsoon deaths this season with 55, followed by Punjab with 45, Azad Jammu and Kashmir with 10, Balochistan with eight, Sindh with two and Gilgit-Baltistan with one.
The NDMA said another 91 houses were damaged during the past 24 hours, including 25 destroyed and 66 partially damaged. Flash floods also swept away two suspension bridges and three footbridges in Diamer district in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, while rescue teams carried out 11 operations in Punjab, bringing the total number of people rescued since June 26 to 4,127.
Pakistan’s Meteorological Department has forecast widespread rain, thunderstorms and isolated heavy to very heavy downpours until Aug. 4, warning of possible flash floods in mountainous areas and urban flooding in several cities.
Pakistan is among the countries considered most vulnerable to climate change and has experienced increasingly erratic weather in recent years, with more frequent heatwaves, droughts and extreme monsoon rainfall.
In 2025, above-average monsoon rains and flooding killed more than 1,000 people and caused widespread damage to homes, roads, agricultural land and public infrastructure, with Punjab among the hardest-hit provinces.
In 2022, record monsoon rains and glacial melt triggered catastrophic floods that killed more than 1,700 people, affected over 33 million people and caused an estimated $30 billion in economic losses, making it one of Pakistan’s worst natural disasters.
