Latest news with #Rawalpindi
Times of Oman
2 days ago
- Climate
- Times of Oman
Monsoon mayhem: Over 200 dead, 560 injured as relentless rains lash Pakistan
Islamabad: Over 200 people have lost their lives, including nearly 100 children, amongst those killed since the onset of Monsoon in late June, Geo TV reported on Saturday, citing Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). According to Geo TV which referred to the official data, Pakistan's Punjab accounted for 123 of the total deaths. This was followed by 40 deaths in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 21 in Sindh, 16 in Balochistan, 1 in Islamabad and 1 in Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. While the causes of death varied, it was reported that at least 118 people were killed due to collapse of houses, 30 due to flash floods while others lost their lives to drowning, lightning strikes, electrocution, and landslides. Geo TV said that the rains have injured more than 560 people, including 182 children. It further reported that in Rawalpindi, flash floods swept through homes, streets, and markets, submerging entire neighbourhoods, water levels rose dangerously -- in some areas reaching rooftops -- forcing residents to flee, leaving behind their belongings. Faisalabad has also witnessed extensive damage, with 11 deaths and 60 injuries reported in 33 incidents over just two days. Most of the fatalities occurred due to the collapse of weakened structures. Pakistan's Punjab saw heavy rainfall and landslides that destroyed infrastructure. As per Geo TV, at least 32 roads in Chakwal were washed away after over 450mm of rainfall. Along with infrastructure damage, communication links remain severed, and the power supply is yet to be restored in several regions. According to a recent report by UN News, there are also fears of glacier lake outburst floods in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit Baltistan regions. UN News highlighted how these floods show Pakistan's vulnerability to climate shocks. In the past in 2022, the monsoon floods had killed more than 1,700 people, displaced millions and devastated water systems. It had also resulted in economic damage estimated at nearly USD 40 billion. Pakistan faces regular monsoon flooding from June to September, often resulting in deadly landslides, infrastructure damage and large-scale displacement, particularly in densely populated or poorly drained regions.
Times of Oman
4 days ago
- Climate
- Times of Oman
Pakistan: Dozens killed in Punjab flooding
Dozens of people have been killed in flooding in Punjab in eastern Pakistan over the past two days with the country experiencing around twice the amount of rainfall compared to July last year. At least 54 people had been killed in a period of 24 hours on Thursday – a figure which, according to local media, had increased to least 63 by Friday. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), Pakistan as a whole has experienced 82% more rainfall so far this month compared to the same period in 2024, a percentage which increases to 124% for the eastern Punjab region. Almost 200 deaths have been reported nationwide since June 26. On Thursday, authorities imposed a so-called section 144 warning which bans bathing, swimming or boating in rivers, canals, ponds, lakes, reservoirs or any other open spaces where rainwater may have accumulated. Television news footage showed an army helicopter plucking three members of a family from the roof of their house after they were stranded by a flash flood on the outskirts of Rawalpindi, which neighbors the capital city of Islamabad on the Sawan river. Tourists were advised to avoid travel to affected areas where rains could trigger landslides and block highways. Pakistan: 'Medium-level' flooding on Friday On Friday, the PDMA reported "medium-level" flooding in the town of Kalabagh on the Indus river and "low-level" flooding in four other locations. "The flow of water in rivers is increasing due to monsoon rains and glacial melting," said a PDMA spokesperson in a statement. Pakistan's second-largest city, Lahore, received "light to moderate" rain on Friday, according to the local Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA). Meanwhile, Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has forecasted several more spells of heavy rain in the coming weeks, starting with a seven-day period next week and continuing with further spells into late August. In 2022, extreme rain and flooding inundated a third of the country, killing over 1,700 people. Authorities have warned they cannot rule out a repeat.
CNA
4 days ago
- Climate
- CNA
Pakistan floods claim more than 170 lives since Jun 26, half of them children
At least 50 people in eastern Pakistan have died in the past 24 hours as torrential monsoon rains continue to pound parts of the country. In the past three weeks, floods have claimed more than 170 lives - about half of them children. Hira Mustafa reports from Rawalpindi.
Arab News
4 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan and Libya to expand defense industrial collaboration after top military meeting
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Libya have agreed to pursue defense industrial collaboration and exchange technical expertise to tackle security challenges, according to an official statement issued on Friday after a meeting between the top army commanders of the two countries. The meeting took place in Rawalpindi between Libyan Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Lt Gen Saddam Khalifa Haftar and Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to the military media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). Defense ties between the two countries date back to the Cold War era, when Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi famously called Pakistan 'the fort of Islam' at the 1974 Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Lahore and later supported its arms procurement efforts. In the post-Qaddafi period, the two nations signed a series of memoranda of understanding focused on labor, education and political consultations, laying the groundwork for broader cooperation. 'Meeting encompassed discussion on matters of mutual interest, evolving regional dynamics, security challenges and matters pertaining to defense cooperation,' the ISPR said in a statement after the meeting. 'Both leaders agreed to undertake defense industrial collaboration and exchange of technical expertise to address contemporary security challenges.' Haftar was presented a guard of honor by a Pakistan Army contingent upon his arrival at the General Headquarters, where he laid a floral wreath at the Martyrs' Corner. The ISPR statement maintained the visit by Libya's top military leadership marks a significant step in reinforcing the longstanding defense partnership between both countries. Pakistan and Libya established diplomatic relations in 1951 and have maintained friendly ties rooted in shared Islamic heritage and cultural bonds. Bilateral trade reached approximately $19 million in 2022–23, while defense ties remain robust, with Pakistan having trained Libyan officers in aviation, infantry and technical fields in the past.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Dozens of children among at least 178 people killed in Pakistan rains and floods
At least 178 people have been killed across Pakistan in the past three weeks as relentless monsoon rains inundate towns, destroy homes, and displace thousands. Officials say at least 63 people died in Punjab alone in just 24 hours between Wednesday and Thursday, most of them crushed under collapsing buildings, while others drowned or were electrocuted. The death toll includes more than 85 children, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said. On Thursday, Rawalpindi, a city adjacent to the capital Islamabad, declared a public holiday, asking residents to stay indoors and urging evacuations along the riverbanks as water levels surged. A state of emergency has also been declared in several parts of Punjab, where floodwaters have swept through urban centres like Lahore and Sargodha and forced military deployment in the worst-hit districts. In Chakwal, which recorded 400mm of rain in a single day, rescue boats were seen navigating through submerged neighbourhoods. Videos shared by Punjab's disaster agency showed children being carried to safety in inflatable rafts, and army helicopters circling overhead in search of stranded families. Mahar Hammad, a vegetable vendor in Sargodha, told CNN that the flood destroyed both his home and his livelihood. 'I've had huge losses. Everything got submerged in water. I work all day just to earn 1,000 rupees ($4), and even that now goes into losses,' he said. A family in Rawalpindi had to be airlifted by military helicopter after they were trapped on the roof of their home. In Jhelum, flash floods triggered by a cloudburst led to rapid evacuations by boat. Pakistan's meteorological department said the country has received 82 per cent more rainfall this July compared to the same period last year. In Punjab, rainfall was 124 per cent above normal between 1 and 15 July, with Seosan experiencing a rare cloudburst that poured nearly 115mm in just one hour. Dozens of expressways in Punjab have been shut, with flights cancelled or delayed at several airports. Schools and nurseries in the most affected regions have also been closed. The NDMA has warned that further extreme weather is likely, with heavy rainfall forecast for Islamabad, Pakistan-administered Kashmir and parts of Balochistan and Sindh through the weekend. Thousands of emergency personnel remain on standby, and at least seven relief camps have been set up to provide food, shelter and medicine. Authorities have warned they cannot rule out a repeat of extreme weather like the 2022 floods that inundated a third of the country, killing 1,737 people. 'This is not just 'bad weather' – it's a symptom of an accelerating climate crisis,' Pakistani senator and former climate minister Sherry Rehman posted on X. Floods have been wreaking havoc all across South Asia, with dozens swept away in Nepal and landslides and floods killing dozens in India. A total of 109 deaths were recorded between 20 June and 16 July 16 in India's Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh. Pakistan is home to over 7,000 glaciers feeding the Indus basin, but accelerated melting caused by the climate crisis has dramatically increased flash flood risks.
