Monsoon rains wreak havoc, killing 10 in northwestern Pakistan during last 24 hours
As per the PDMA's preliminary report, the deceased include two men, two women and six children while the injured includes a man and one child. The report said that 10 houses were damaged in total, eight of which were partially damaged while two were completely destroyed due to rains and flash floods.
The incidents occurred in various districts of the province such as Swat, Bajaur, Buner, Upper Kohistan, Upper Chitral and Shangla, as per the PDMA report.
'The PDMA has directed the concerned district administrations to immediately provide assistance to the affected families and ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured,' the disaster management authority said.
The development takes place as the death toll from rain-related incidents in Pakistan since June 26 has surged to 221, as per the National Disaster Management Authority's (NDMA) latest situation reported released on Monday evening.
Pakistan's most populous Punjab province has reported the highest number of deaths at 135, followed by 46 in KP, 22 in Sindh, 16 in Balochistan, and one each in the federal capital of Islamabad and Azad Kashmir.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department warned this week that landslides and mudslides may block roads in vulnerable areas of Murree, Galliyat, Azad Kashmir and GB, forecasting heavy rains till July 25. Torrential rains, windstorms and lightning could also damage weak structures, electric poles, billboards, vehicles and solar panels, it added.
3 DEAD, 15 MISSING IN NORTHERN PAKISTAN
The NDMA said three people had died after a cloudburst triggered flash floods on Babusar Road in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region on Monday afternoon. Various news reports said 15 tourists were missing after flash floods swept away several vehicles, damaging them in the process.
The authority said an area of approximately seven to eight kilometers on Babusar Road was affected, causing 14–15 major blockages due to landslides, debris and flash floods.
'Three dead bodies received at Regional Headquarters Chila, one injured person under treatment,' the NDMA said on Monday. 'Tourists stranded at various points were evacuated.'
The NDMA said Babusar Road was 'severely blocked,' adding that around 10–15 vehicles were stuck in nullahs and slide areas as authorities rescued stranded tourists in the area.
The twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi were also lashed with heavy rainfall over the past 24 hours State broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported that Islamabad received the highest rainfall, 184 millimeters, over the past 24 hours.
Heavy rains led to urban flooding in the capital's Saidpur Village, as footage shared widely on social media showed severely damaged cars being swept away by raging currents in nullahs.
A video played by leading news channel Geo News showed a car with two people inside being swept away by floodwater. The news channel claimed the incident took place in Rawalpindi's Defense Housing Authority Phase 5 area.
Monsoon season brings South Asia 70 to 80 percent of its annual rainfall, arriving in early June in India and late June in Pakistan, and lasting through until September.
In 2022, record-breaking monsoon rains combined with glacial melt submerged nearly a third of Pakistan, killing more than 1,700 people and displacing over 8 million. In May, at least 32 people were killed in severe storms, including strong hailstorms.
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