ISLAMABAD: At least 31 people have been killed and 43 injured in total since June 27 in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab and Sindh provinces, a report by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said this week.
Heavy rains have lashed Sindh, Punjab and KP provinces this week, raising water levels in rivers to alarming levels and triggering urban floods in some cities.
As per the NDMA’s report on Saturday, six people were killed in Punjab, 18 in KP and seven in Sindh from June 27 to 28. Punjab reported the largest number of injuries in the same period, 21, followed by Sindh with 16 and KP with six.
The NDMA has issued a series of impact-based weather alerts across the country, forecasting ongoing and intensified rain-wind/thunderstorms over the next 24 to 48 hours.
“Persistent heavy downpours are expected to overwhelm drainage systems in urban centers, leading to significant urban flooding, especially in low-lying areas,” the state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) said in a report, quoting the NDMA.
“Rapid and intense rainfall can trigger flash floods in local and seasonal streams, particularly in mountainous and hilly regions.”
SWAT RIVER DEATH TOLL SURGES TO 12
Separately, the death toll from drowning in the wake of flash flooding in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat River has climbed to 12, a leading emergency rescue service said on Sunday.
Flash flooding due to heavy rain caused the Swat River water to rise to dangerous levels at several locations across the mountainous valley on Friday, according to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Rescue 1122 emergency service.
Rescue 1122 KP spokesperson Bilal Faizi said on Friday a total of 16 people had been trapped in the floods, adding that three had been rescued.
“The body of Danial, who was from Mardan and lost his life in the Swat incident, has been recovered from the Charsadda,” Rescue 1122 said in a statement.
“With this recovery, the total number of confirmed deaths has risen to 12.”
Rescue 1122 said its teams were searching for a missing child from Sialkot who was also among those trapped in the floods.
State broadcaster Radio Pakistan said the deceased and missing persons belong to Pakistan’s Sialkot, Daska and Mardan cities.
Pakistan, home to over 240 million people, is considered one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change and faces extreme weather events with increasing frequency.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed the NDMA to enhance coordination with provinces and issue timely weather alerts to citizens via cellphone messages.
