Disasters & Accidents

Deadly monsoon rains, floods hit Pakistan

Islamabad, Jul 8 (EFE).- At least 67 people, including 28 children, have died and 125 were injured due to floods and landslides caused by torrential rains that have hit Pakistan since the monsoon season began.

“Since June 25, so far 67 people have died and 125 have been injured by monsoon rains and subsequent floods in the country,” National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) spokeswoman Sara Malik told EFE on Saturday.

The eastern province of Punjab has seen the highest number of casualties, with 43 dead, the authority said.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (IMD) estimated earlier this week that monsoon rains would persist in the country until Saturday, and warned of the risk of overflowing of rivers.

“Wet currents from the Bay of Bengal are penetrating most parts of the country,” according to the latest IMD bulletin, which added that more rains are expected in the coming days in the regions of Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, in addition to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, northeastern Punjab, northeastern Balochistan and the southern province of Sindh.

Last summer, Sindh was the most affected by the worst floods to hit Pakistan since 2010, causing the deaths of more than 1,700 people and killing more than one million livestock.

Up to eight million people were displaced, with as many as 33 million, or one-seventh of the population of the world’s fifth most populous country, affected by the disaster.

Pakistan, which according to government estimates contributes less than one percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, is among the 10 most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change. EFEaa-mvg/ks

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