Deaths by lightning in Pakistani district “unprecedented,” officials say

KARACHI: At least 29 people are reported to have been killed by lightning in the Tharparkar district of Pakistan’s Sindh province which experts on Saturday blamed on climate change.
“The number of deaths caused by lightning is unprecedented, even though the phenomenon is nothing new. Climate change could also be the cause of the increasing intensity of the lightning,” Dr. Sardar Sarfraz, a senior meteorological officer in Karachi told Arab News, adding that it was “unusual to experience such heavy rains in November” where the intensity of monsoons tends to drop down.
Sarfraz said that Chachro and Taaluqa were the worst affected areas of the Tharparkar district, located about 390 kilometers from Karachi, with a health emergency declared in hospitals across the Sindh province on Saturday.
“Health facilities are put on high alert with all provisions, including availability of doctors, paramedics, medicines and ambulances,” excerpts from a statement issued by the district health officer in Mithi read.
Authorities have also imposed a 24-hour emergency following reports of the deaths on Wednesday night which included several women and children from different villages.
“The cattle growers and farmers were out in the fields when sudden lightning hit them late Wednesday evening,” Allah Dad, a local farmer at Chachro village, told Arab News.
“Continuous rains and lighting have killed many people while leaving hundreds of cattle dead,” he added.
Meanwhile, local activists have prepared a list of casualties resulting from the 36-hour long heavy downpour, Abdul Ghani Pajeer, a resident of Islamkot, told Arab News.
“Teams have been deputed in the field to confirm any rise in death toll on the basis of circumstantial evidence if the victims have been buried,” Irshad Memon, the district health officer told Arab News, adding that a final figure “would be shared in the next 24 hours.
Spread across 22,000 square kms, Tharparkar is the largest desert district of the Sindh province, making it difficult for the authorities to access every village immediately.
“We have five hospitals among 48 different health centers, all doctors and paramedics are on duty. We are regularly monitoring the situation,” Memon said.
With 1.65 million people, Tharparkar has the lowest Human Development Index of all the districts in the southern province. 
The district has a fertile desert where the livelihood of the people depends on rainfall. The district, however, is mostly in the news for its severe drought issues and an increasing number of childrens death caused mainly by malnutrition.