At least 50 people, including eight children, died in a number of rain-related incidents as Pakistan is being pounded by intense monsoon rains, officials said on Friday.
Monsoon winds bring rains to South Asia every year between June and September, making up 70% to 80% of the region’s yearly precipitation.
These monsoon rains are a mixed blessing for the region.
On the one hand, they are essential to the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security in a region of approximately two billion people. On the other hand, they bring landslides and floods.
According to a National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) official speaking to AFP, “Fifty deaths have been reported in various rain-related incidents across Pakistan since the onset of the monsoon on June 25,” adding that 87 people were injured during the time.
According to government data, the majority of the fatalities occurred in eastern Punjab and were primarily caused by electrocution and fallen houses.
According to Rescue 1122 spokesman Bilal Ahmed Faizi, eight children’s remains were found in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday after a landslip in the Shangla district.
He said that rescuers are currently looking for further kids who may still be trapped in the debris.
The second-largest city in Pakistan, Lahore, reported record rains on Wednesday, converting streets into rivers and rendering roughly 35% of the population without water and electricity this week.
In the upcoming days, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast additional widespread heavy precipitation and issued a flood alert for Punjab’s main river basins.
The province’s disaster management organisation announced on Friday that it is attempting to transfer residents who live near waterways.
Seasonal rains are becoming heavier and more erratic, according to scientists who study climate change.
Unprecedented monsoon rains this summer submerged a third of Pakistan, caused damage to two million homes, and claimed the lives of more than 1,700 people.
At least 27 people were killed by storms early last month in the country’s northwest, including eight children.
