PESHAWAR/LAHORE/QUETTA: Heavy rain and flash flooding across Pakistan have killed 40 people, including 18 children, since the start of the monsoon season this week, disaster management officials said.
Flash floods and roof collapses over the past 36 hours have claimed the lives of 19 people, eight of them children, a statement Saturday by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial disaster management authority said. Of the total fatalities, 13 were reported from northwestern Swat Valley.
At least 15 people have also been killed in Punjab since Wednesday, the area’s disaster management au-thority said. Eight of the fatalities were children, who died when walls and roofs collapsed during heavy rain.
Also, six deaths and seven injured in rain related incidents were reported from Karachi.
Flooding in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has also damaged 56 houses, six of which were destroyed, the disaster authority said.
The national meteorological service warned that the risk of heavy rain and possible flash floods will remain high until at least Tuesday.
Meanwhile, National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC) of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued impact-based weather alerts for multiple regions of Pakistan, warning of heavy rainfall, urban flooding, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), and associated hazards over the next 24 to 48 hours.
Meanwhile, at least 15 people lost their lives while 35 others sustained injuries in various rain-related accidents across Punjab during the ongoing monsoon spell, according to a detailed report issued by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Saturday.
The report, which covers the period from June 25 to June 27, highlights a total of 25 incidents caused by torrential rains and strong winds.
Most of the casualties were attributed to the collapse of roofs and boundary walls, a recurring hazard during the monsoon season.
A PDMA spokesperson said that incidents were reported from several districts, including Bahawalnagar, Faisalabad, and Khanewal. The spokesperson further noted that emergency services had been mobilised promptly in all affected areas.
Meanwhile, heavy but scattered rain was observed in Lahore here on Saturday while the MET office predicted similar weather conditions for the next 24 hours.
Different parts of the city witnessed heavy rain including Airport, Tajpura and Nishtar Town. Wasa’s field teams were active and cleared the stagnant rainwater till evening.
A fresh spell of monsoon rain has begun in northern and central Balochistan, lashing several towns and cities and causing rain-related incidents across the region.
Meanwhile, four members of a family from Multan -- including three women and a girl -- were swept away in a flash flood in Balochistan’s Zhob district on Saturday. Rescue workers and Levies officials managed to save the lives of one woman and the family’s driver.
Monsoon rains have also been reported in Barkhan, Qila Saifullah, Musakhail, Kohlu, Dera Bugti, Khuzdar, Kalat, Zhob, Qila Abdullah, Chaman, and several other areas.
Meanwhile, six people were killed in rain-related accidents, including electrocution and wall collapses, in Karachi on Saturday.
In Awami Colony near Korangi’s Bilal Colony’s Murtaza Chowk, a 17-year-old youth died of electrocution. The deceased was identified as Mudassir Khan, son of Sona Khan. In Golimar’s Firdous Lal Masjid Colony, a man died of electrocution at a tyre repair shop. He was identified as 22-year-old Mir Jan, son of Manzoor. His body was shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. In New Karachi, Sector 11-J, near Shan Ice Depot, a man was electrocuted inside a house. He was identified as 40-year-old Gulfam, son of Haji Basheer. His body was also moved to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. In Manzoor Colony’s Sector I, Street No. 1, the wall of a double-storey house collapsed. The wall fell onto an adjacent empty plot where a father and his two children were present. In the incident, two-year-old Hassan, son of Rizwan, died on the spot. The incident left Rizwan and his 6-year-old son Muhammad Hussain injured. According to police, it is suspected that the collapse occurred due to the rainfall. The wall was constructed recently. In Lyari, the roof of a dilapidated building collapsed, killing a father and his young daughter and injuring five other family members. The incident occurred in the jurisdiction of Baghdadi Police Station, at Moosa Lane, Street No5 near Kausar Mosque. The collapsed roof of the rundown building killed 45-year-old Danish, son of Ghulam Rasool, and his 3-year-old daughter Aleema on the spot. The injured included 30-year-old Kashif, son of Saleem, 30-year-old Beenish, wife of Hassan, 4-year-old Zubaida, daughter of Nouman, 11-year-old Ayaan, daughter of Danish, and 12-year-old Asim, son of Danish.