Pakistan warns of fresh monsoon spell from Aug. 5 as rain death toll surges to 288
Torrential rains have continued to wreak havoc across Pakistan since late June, killing 288 people in total as per data shared by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The rains have killed 136 children in total and injured 691 people.
The Met Department also warned of flash floods in the northern regions' local streams. These areas include Dir, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Kohat, Karak, Hangu, Tank, Dera Ghazi Khan, Murree, Galliyat and Azad Kashmir.
'A fresh monsoon activity with isolated heavy falls is expected to start from Aug 5,' the PMD said in its daily weather report.
It warned that river flows are likely to increase up to the medium level under the influence of the upcoming monsoon spell.
Authorities in Punjab issued a flood alert on Wednesday, warning of rising water levels in the Chenab, Jhelum and Sutlej rivers, with possible urban flooding in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Lahore over the next 48 hours.
The provincial disaster management authority (PDMA) urged residents in low-lying or riverbank settlements to follow precautionary guidelines and cooperate with local officials during evacuations.
Pakistan, which ranks among the world's most climate-vulnerable nations, has witnessed increasingly erratic weather events in recent years.
In May, at least 32 people were killed in severe storms, while a third of the country was submerged by devastating floods in 2022 that killed more than 1,700 people, affected over 30 million and caused an estimated $35 billion in damages.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has repeatedly directed authorities to intensify rescue operations in flood-affected areas of the country.
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