ISLAMABAD: The fresh spell of heavy monsoon rains has killed 17 in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab, and northern Gilgit-Baltistan areas over the past 24 hours, according to official data, as authorities remain concerned over the risk of floods as water levels in Punjab’s rivers rise.
Monsoon currents are continuously penetrating the country from the Bay of Bengal, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), and a westerly trough is expected to persist in the northern regions over the next few days. As a result, several parts of KP and Punjab are at risk of flash floods and landslides, while rains or thundershowers will also hit the southern and southwestern parts of the country.
Official data from the provincial KP government states nine people were killed while seven were injured in rain-related incidents over the past 24 hours. Incidents of land sliding partially and completely damaged 68 and 7 houses in the province respectively.
“All affected families in the province have been provided food and all other necessary items,” KP’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said in a statement, declaring an emergency in lower and upper Chitral following the heavy rains.
Separately, four people of the same family were killed while one was injured due to a land sliding incident in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Skardu district, Arif Hussain, a Rescue 1122 official, said.
He said all major roads in the city were closed due to mudflow and landsliding, adding that machinery had been deployed to clear debris from the roads. “The rain has stopped now here, but almost all major roads are blocked due to landsliding,” Hussain told Arab News.
Assistant commissioner of the mountainous Hunza valley in GB said the Karakorum Highway at Hassanabad will remain closed for traffic on July 24, 2023, from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. during which authorities would blast heavy boulders to clear the road and the adjacent public irrigation water channel.
People, transporters, drivers, and tourists are advised to use the SAS valley Nagar route to avoid any inconvenience, he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, four people were killed and eight were injured in rain-related incidents across Punjab over the last 24 hours, as per official Among those killed were three women and children.
Mazhar, a PDMA Punjab spokesperson, said the roofs of five houses have been damaged due to intense rainfall, adding that showers are expected to continue in the province till July 29.
“The water inflows in the rivers in Punjab have been constantly rising due to rains which may cause flash floods in some areas,” Mazhar told Arab News. “We have put all provincial administration on high alert to protect citizens’ lives and properties.”
He said authorities have been directed to relocate people living in close proximity to rivers and low-lying areas in Punjab, urging citizens to avoid unnecessary travel this week.
