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NDTV
2 days ago
- Climate
- NDTV
At Least 320 Killed In Pakistan Due To Monsoon In Last 48 Hours
Rescuers were struggling to retrieve bodies from debris after flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains across northern Pakistan killed at least 321 people in the past 48 hours, authorities said on Saturday. The majority of deaths, 307, were reported in mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said. Most were killed in flash floods and collapsing houses, with the dead including 15 women and 13 children. At least 23 others were injured. One resident told AFP it felt like "the end of the world" was coming, as the ground shook with the force of the water. The provincial rescue agency told AFP that around 2,000 rescue workers were engaged in recovering bodies from the debris and carrying out relief operations in nine affected districts where rain was still hampering efforts. "Heavy rainfall, landslides in several areas, and washed-out roads are causing significant challenges in delivering aid, particularly in transporting heavy machinery and ambulances," said Bilal Ahmed Faizi, spokesman for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's rescue agency. "Due to road closures in most areas, rescue workers are travelling on foot to conduct operations in remote regions," he told AFP. "They are trying to evacuate survivors, but very few people are relocating due to the deaths of their relatives or loved ones being trapped in the debris." The provincial government has declared the severely affected mountainous districts of Buner, Bajaur, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra and Battagram as disaster-hit areas. The meteorological department has issued a heavy rain alert for Pakistan's northwest for the next few hours, urging people to take "precautionary measures". Nine more people were killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, while five died in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, the national disaster authority said. Another five people, including two pilots, were killed when a local government helicopter crashed due to bad weather during a relief mission on Friday. 'Reeling From Profound Trauma' The monsoon season brings South Asia about three-quarters of its annual rainfall, vital for agriculture and food security, but it also brings destruction. Landslides and flash floods are common during the season, which usually begins in June and eases by the end of September. Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah, a representative of the national disaster agency, told AFP that this year's monsoon season began earlier than usual and was expected to end later. "The next 15 days... the intensity of the monsoon will further exacerbate," he said. In Buner district, where there have been dozens of deaths and injuries, resident Azizullah said he "thought it was doomsday". "I heard a loud noise as if the mountain was sliding. I rushed outside and saw the entire area shaking, like it was the end of the world," he told AFP. "The ground was trembling due to the force of the water, and it felt like death was staring me in the face." In Bajaur, a tribal district abutting Afghanistan, a crowd gathered around an excavator digging through a mud-soaked hill. On Friday, funeral prayers began in a paddock nearby, with people grieving in front of several bodies covered by blankets. In the picturesque district of Swat, an AFP photographer saw roads submerged in muddy water, electricity poles grounded, and vehicles half-buried in mud. The torrential rains that have pounded Pakistan since the start of the summer monsoon, described as "unusual" by authorities, have killed more than 600 people. In July, Punjab, home to nearly half of Pakistan's 255 million people, recorded 73 percent more rainfall than the previous year and more deaths than in the entire previous monsoon. Pakistan is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, and its population is contending with extreme weather events with increasing frequency. Monsoon floods in 2022 submerged a third of the country and killed around 1,700 people. Another villager in Buner told AFP residents kept on searching through the rubble overnight. "The entire area is reeling from profound trauma," said 32-year-old schoolteacher Saifullah Khan. "We still have no clear idea who in this small village is alive and who is dead," he added. "I help retrieve the bodies of the children I taught, I keep wondering what kind of trial nature has imposed on these kids." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Epoch Times
06-05-2025
- Climate
- Epoch Times
Teal MP Apologises After Linking Climate Change to NRL Player's Death
Teal MP Sophie Scamps has been forced to apologise after being accused of linking the death of National Rugby League (NRL) player Keith Titmuss to climate change. Scamps represents Mackellar on Sydney's northern beaches, and will be defending a 3.3 percent margin at the federal election on May 3. In an interview, Scamps apologised for her comments after she copped criticism for implying a link between climate change and Titmuss's death. 'If there's any distress or upset, that was never my intention at all,' when asked what she would say to the family on 2GB. 'Our community was heartbroken for their family, and [my] deep apologies if she is upset.' The controversy stems from remarks made by Scamps at a Doctors for the Environment Australia event, where she suggested that 'lethal humidity' may have been a contributing factor in the death of the rugby player. Related Stories 4/29/2025 4/23/2025 Titmuss died following a training session on a humid day when temperatures reached 33°C. 'The Rugby league player died from heat stress after a training session,' Scamps said at the event. 'That sort of lethal humidity is something that the medical fraternity is getting more and more concerned about.' 'Lethal humidity' refers to conditions when heat and humidity make it too hard for the human body to cool itself via sweating. It has been What Was the Cause of Death? The coronial inquest determined that the death of Keith Titmuss, a Manly Sea Eagles Player, was caused by heat stroke, exacerbated by factors such as body mass and the intensity of training, not by climate change. 'Lethal humidity' was not listed as a contributing factor. Deputy State Coroner Magistrate Derek Lee's report Scamps Defends Her Comments In the interview, Scamps defended her remarks, explaining that she had not mentioned Titmuss by name and that her comments were about broader concerns over rising temperatures and humidity. She noted that medical professionals are increasingly worried about the increase in both heat and humidity. 'There is a concern from doctors all over the world that not only have we had the hottest year on record last year, the second hottest year the year before, and the last 10 hottest years have been in the last 10 years. So we have a warming climate,' she said. Election: Scamps Faces Challenge The teal MP won the seat of Mackellar from Liberal Jason Falinski in the 2022 federal election with the backing of She is now facing a challenge from Liberal candidate James Brown at the federal election. Brown, a former Australian army officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, recently launched his campaign with the support of Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and former Prime Minister John Howard. Brown has also held senior positions in various organisations, including Chief Executive Officer of the Space Industry Association of Australia and Chairman of Invictus Australia. 'James Brown chose to serve Australia, spending over a decade in the Army with deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Solomon Islands. As president of the RSL in NSW, he led the campaign for a Royal Commission into Veteran and Defence Suicide,' Dutton 'Now, James is ready to represent Mackellar. As a father and first-time homeowner, he understands the pressures families face — especially with rising costs.' If elected, Brown is promising to spend $250 million to upgrade Mona Vale Road, $1 million for an upgrade to Avalon Beach, and $4.5 million to renovate Newport Surf Lifesaving Club.
