54 people killed in 24 hours of heavy monsoon rain in Pakistan
Rescue teams used boats to evacuate families from villages along the river further south in the morning, but the water had begun to recede by the afternoon.
"Children were screaming for help, and women stood on rooftops, waving their shawls and begging to be rescued," said Tariq Mehbood Bhatti, a 51-year-old farmer in Ladian village.
Residents living in low-lying areas near the Nullah Lai river that runs through Rawalpindi city, neighbouring the capital Islamabad, were ordered to evacuate after a sharp rise in the water level.
"Rescue teams are on standby for more evacuations," a spokeswoman for the disaster agency said.
"Residents of vulnerable areas should prepare emergency kits with food, water, and essential medicines for three to five days in case of an emergency," the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) added in an alert.
The Rawalpindi government declared a public holiday on Thursday to keep people at home, with the national meteorological department warning that heavy rain would continue until Friday.
Electrocutions, buildings collapsing
Around 180 people have been killed, including 70 children, and about 500 injured since the start of the monsoon on June 26, according to the disaster agency.
"In the last 24 hours, 54 people were killed and 227 injured across Pakistan, with the majority of fatalities reported from Punjab," the NDMA spokeswoman told AFP, adding that the toll had been counted at 8:00 am (0300 GMT) on Thursday.
The majority of deaths were caused by collapsed houses and sudden flash floods, while dozens were also electrocuted.
Monsoon season brings South Asia 70 to 80 percent of its annual rainfall, and runs from June until September in India and Pakistan.
The annual rains are vital for agriculture and food security, and the livelihoods of millions of farmers, but also bring destruction.
South Asia is getting hotter and has seen shifting weather patterns in recent years, but scientists are unclear on how exactly a warming planet is affecting the highly complex monsoon.
Pakistan is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, and its 255 million residents are facing extreme weather events with increasing frequency.
In 2022, monsoon floods submerged a third of the country and killed 1,700 people.
© 2025 AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
3 days ago
- France 24
Torrential rain in Taiwan kills four over past week
Torrential rain has lashed swathes of the island since July 28, forcing several thousand people to seek shelter, damaging roads, and shuttering offices. Maolin, a mountainous district in southern Taiwan, recorded 2.8 metres (nine feet) of rain since July 28, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Li Ming-siang told AFP. That's more than Taiwan's annual rainfall of 2.1 metres last year, according to the agency's data. The unusually heavy downpours were caused by a low-pressure system and strong southwesterly winds, Li said. "The southwesterly winds have brought heavy moisture from the South China Sea to Taiwan," Li said. Li said southwesterly winds were normally brought by typhoons affecting the island and seasonal rain in May and June. This time it was caused by Typhoon Co-May pushing southwesterly winds further north as it swept past eastern Taiwan on its way to China, Li said, adding the rain was not linked to climate change. The average rainfall across the island last month was the highest for the month of July since 1939, the CWA said. The torrential rain follows Typhoon Danas, which hit Taiwan in early July. Two people were killed and hundreds injured as the storm dumped more than 500 millimetres (20 inches) of rain across the south over a weekend. "We rarely encounter a disaster of this scale," Premier Cho Jung-tai said during a visit to a flood-hit area in the southern Tainan City on Monday. "From Typhoon Danas up to now, we've faced nearly a month of continuous and heavy rainfall." The week of bad weather left four people dead, three missing, and 77 injured, a disaster official said. Nearly 6,000 people were forced to leave their homes. The state weather forecaster expects the rain to ease in the coming days. Taiwan is accustomed to frequent tropical storms from July to October. Scientists say human-driven climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely.
France 24
30-07-2025
- France 24
Olympic biathlon champion confirmed dead after Pakistan mountaineering accident
The dangerous nature of the site made rescue efforts "impossible", her management company reported in a statement issued on Wednesday, which confirmed her death. "Rescue efforts to recover her failed and the operation was suspended," the statement continued. "Laura's energy and passion for life touched so many around the world," the International Biathlon Union reacted in a statement. It added: "Her legacy, both within biathlon and beyond, will never be forgotten and will continue to inspire countless athletes and adventurers for generations to come." "This is an enormous shock. Laura will always remain in my heart," Dahlmeier's friend and rival, Czech champion Gabriela Soukalova posted on social media. The accident happened around midday on Monday at an altitude of 5,700 metres (18,700 feet) on Laila Peak in the Karakoram range, according to a statement from her team on her official social media pages. Dahlmeier's climbing partner was able to sound the alarm after reaching safety. "It was determined that a helicopter rescue is not possible," Areeb Ahmed Mukhtar, a senior local official in Ghanche district, where the more than 6,000 metre mountain is located, told AFP earlier on Wednesday. "The conditions at the altitude where she was injured are extremely challenging," he added. Shipton Trek & Tours Pakistan, which organised the expedition, confirmed the ground rescue by a team of four that includes three Americans and a German mountaineer. Dahlmeier was "hit by falling rocks," her team said on Tuesday, adding no one had yet been able to reach her due to the danger of further rockfalls and the site's "remoteness". Muhammad Ali, a local disaster management official, told AFP that weather conditions have been "extremely harsh" in the region for the past week, with rain, strong winds and thick clouds. 'Role model' Dahlmeier, an experienced mountaineer, had been in the region since the end of June and had already ascended the Great Trango Tower. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier issued a statement on Wednesday calling Dahlmeier "an ambassador for our country around the world (and) a role model for peaceful, joyful, and fair coexistence across borders." She won seven world championship gold medals, and at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang she became the first woman biathlete to win both the sprint and the pursuit at the same Games. Dahlmeier retired from professional competition in 2019 at the age of 25. She went on to become a commentator on biathlon events for German broadcaster ZDF, and also took up mountaineering. She was a certified mountain and ski guide and an active member of the mountain rescue, according to her team. Dahlmeier's management company said it had been her "express and written wish that in a case like this, no one should risk their life to rescue her". This was also in line with the wishes of her relatives, "who also expressly ask that Laura's last wish be respected".
France 24
22-07-2025
- France 24
Pakistan landslide after heavy rain kills 5, with 15 missing
Flash floods, collapsed buildings and electrocutions have killed 221 people nationwide since the monsoon season arrived in late June with heavier rains that usual. More than eight vehicles were swept away on Monday when heavy rains triggered a landslide on a highway in Diamer district, Gilgit-Baltistan region. "One local resident and four tourists have died and among the deceased is an unidentified woman," Atta-ur-Rehman Kakar, a senior official in Diamer, said in a video statement Tuesday. Nearly 100 homes have been destroyed in the floods, and rescue operations were ongoing, he added. The region is a popular tourist destination, marked by towering mountains, deep valleys and wide rivers. Faizullah Faraq, spokesperson for the regional government, said hundreds of visitors have been rescued. "Government teams cleared debris and escorted them off the mountain road, while local villagers provided emergency shelter and assistance," Faraq added. Floods and landslides in the area have blocked major highways, damaged communication signals, four bridges, a hotel and a school. Washed out buses used by tourists were left abandoned on the side of the road after the destruction caused by the landslides. Rescued families holding babies and carrying rucksacks sat on rocks while rescue teams handed them food at the scene of a landslide. Lacking disaster management Nationwide, the death toll from monsoon-related incidents since June 26 includes 104 children, while more than 500 people have been injured, Pakistan's National Disaster Management Agency said Tuesday. A spokeswoman for the agency told AFP that the heavy rains usually start later in the monsoon season. "Such death tolls are usually seen in August, but this year the impact has been markedly different," she said. Monsoon season brings South Asia 70 to 80 percent of its annual rainfall, and runs from late June until September in Pakistan. The annual rains are vital for agriculture and food security, and the livelihoods of millions of farmers, but also bring destruction. Sherry Rehman, the former climate change minister, pointed out "the absence of an effective, comprehensive disaster management system in the country", in a statement released by her office. In late June, at least 13 tourists were swept to their deaths while sheltering from flash floods on a raised river bank. In 2022, monsoon floods submerged a third of the country and killed 1,700 people.
