The monsoon rains that have pounded Pakistan since last month have caused at least 50 fatalities, including eight children, officials said on Friday.
50 dead in Pakistan floods: South Asia receives 70–80 percent of its yearly rainfall between June and September thanks to the summer monsoon.
Although it brings landslides and floods, it is essential for the livelihoods of millions of farmers and the food security of a region home to around two billion people.
An official from the national disaster management informed AFP that during this time, 87 people also suffered injuries. The official added that different rain-related incidents all over Pakistan have reported fifty deaths since the start of the monsoon on June 25.
Government data reveals that the eastern Punjab province witnessed the majority of fatalities, primarily caused by electrocution and building collapses.
Rescue 1122’s spokesman Bilal Ahmed Faizi reported on Thursday that they discovered the remains of eight children in the northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, following a landslip in the Shangla district.
He informed that the rescue teams were actively searching for additional children who might be trapped in the rubble.
The second-largest city in Pakistan, Lahore, reported record-breaking rains on Wednesday, converting streets into rivers and rendering nearly 35% of the population without water and electricity this week.
“Punjab Braces for Potential Floods as Meteorological Department Warns of Heavy Rains”
The Meteorological Department has issued warnings about potential floods in the catchment basins of Punjab’s major rivers and has forecast additional widespread heavy rains in the coming days.
The province’s disaster management organisation announced on Friday that it is attempting to transfer residents who live near waterways.
Seasonal rains are becoming heavier and more erratic, according to scientists who study climate change.
Unprecedented monsoon rains this summer submerged a third of Pakistan, caused damage to two million homes, and claimed the lives of more than 1,700 people.
Storms in the country’s northwest claimed the lives of at least 27 people, including eight children, early last month.
According to officials, Pakistan, which has the fifth-largest population in the world, contributes less than 1% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
It is one of the countries most susceptible to the harsh weather brought on by global warming, though.