ISLAMABAD: Authorities in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province announced the deaths of three children due to heavy rains and flash floods on Tuesday, as more downpours were forecast in several districts of Punjab in the next 24 hours.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) of Punjab has reported 54 people lost their lives during this year’s monsoon season in Pakistan, with 141 others injured in various rain-related incidents in the province.
Most of the fatalities were due to lightning strikes and the collapse of dilapidated buildings, highlighting the severe impact of the heavy rains.
Similar incidents have plagued KP since the onset of the monsoon, exacerbating the region’s vulnerability to such natural disasters.
“Monsoon rains are likely in most districts of Punjab in the next 24 hours,” the Punjab PDMA informed in a statement. “In the last 24 hours, Murree recorded 18 mm, Rahim Yar Khan 17, Chakwal 12 and Joharabad also recorded 12 mm of rain.”
“Due to monsoon rains, the water level in rivers, dams and canals is increasing,” the statement added.
PDMA officials in KP also released 24-hour tabulated data up until 1 PM on Tuesday, reporting the deaths of two children in the Mohmand tribal district and one in Mansehra during that period.
The Punjab PDMA chief, Irfan Ali Kathia, said all necessary arrangements had been made in anticipation of a possible flood situation in parts of the province.
He added that financial assistance had been provided to the families of those who lost their loved ones during the monsoon.
“The precious loss of life can be avoided by taking precautionary measures,” he emphasized.
The Punjab PDMA also urged people to avoid weak and dilapidated buildings.
Three children die due to floods in Pakistan’s northwest as Punjab braces for downpours
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Three children die due to floods in Pakistan’s northwest as Punjab braces for downpours
- Officials in Punjab say all necessary arrangements have been made in anticipation of a possible flood situation
- The country has witnessed most monsoon deaths due to lightning strikes and collapse of dilapidated buildings
At ECO meeting, Pakistan proposes ‘Regional Innovation Hub’ to curb natural disasters
- Pakistan hosts high-level 10th ECO Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction in Islamabad
- Innovation hub to focus on early warning technologies, risk informed infrastructure planning
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has proposed to set up a “Regional Innovation Hub on Disaster Risk Reduction” that focuses on early warning technologies and risk informed infrastructure planning, the Press Information Department (PID) said on Wednesday, as Islamabad hosts a high-level meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
The ECO’s 10th Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is being held from Jan. 21-22 at the headquarters of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in Pakistan’s capital.
The high-level regional forum brings together ministers, and senior officials from ECO member states, representatives of the ECO Secretariat and regional and international partner organizations. The event is aimed to strengthen collective efforts toward enhancing disaster resilience across the ECO region, the PID said.
“Key agenda items include regional cooperation on early warning systems, disaster risk information management, landslide hazard zoning, inclusive disaster preparedness initiatives, and Pakistan’s proposal to establish a Regional Innovation Hub on Disaster Risk Reduction, focusing on early warning technologies, satellite data utilization, and risk-informed infrastructure planning,” the statement said.
The meeting was attended by delegations from ECO member states including Pakistan, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Representatives of regional and international organizations and development partners were also in attendance.
Discussions focused on enhancing regional coordination, harmonizing disaster risk reduction frameworks, and strengthening collective preparedness against transboundary and climate-induced hazards impacting the ECO region, the PID said.
ECO members states such as Pakistan, Türkiye, Afghanistan and others have faced natural calamities such as floods and earthquakes in recent years that have killed tens of thousands of people.
Heavy rains triggered catastrophic floods in Pakistan in 2022 and 2025 that killed thousands of people and caused damages to critical infrastructure, inflicting losses worth billions of dollars.
Islamabad has since then called on regional countries to join hands to cooperate to avert future climate disasters and promote early warning systems to avoid calamities in future.
