Islamabad: At least 20 people have been killed in the last 24 hours due to torrential rains and floods in Pakistan, mostly in Punjab province, taking the year’s monsoon-related death toll to 215, authorities said on Monday.
The monsoon season lasts from June to September but its peak period starts in July, offering respite from the summer heat but causing weather-related disasters.
Data from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) showed that 20 people were killed in the last 24 hours while another 43 were injured due to rains and floods across the country.
A majority of 12 people were killed in Punjab, followed by five in Sindh and three in Balochistan provinces.
According to the NDMA, a total of 215 people have been killed since July 1 and another 405 injured. Punjab suffered 86 deaths while 224 people were also injured.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa followed with 65 deaths and 112 injuries, while Sindh suffered 37 deaths and 42 injuries, Balochistan 18 deaths and 10 injured, Kashmir five deaths and 16 injured, and Gilgit Baltistan 4 deaths and one injured person.
At least 2,575 houses were partially or fully damaged due to rains while 448 animals also perished, causing considerable loss to the rural economy.
The ongoing rains, however, are weaker compared to 2022, when climate-induced downpours swelled rivers and inundated one-third of the country at one point, killing 1,739 people and causing USD 30 billion in damage.
Published 19 August 2024, 16:58 IST