At least 11 killed by heavy rains, floods in Pakistan
Islamabad, Jul 27 (EFE).- At least 11 people have been killed in the past 24 hours due to heavy rains and floods in Pakistan, taking the number of total deaths since the beginning of the monsoon season to 168, authorities said Thursday.
The 11 deaths, including those of five children, took place in different parts of the country, but the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was the worst-affected, the national disaster management agency (NDMA) said in its latest bulletin.
Other provinces such as the southern Balochistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, also witnessed flash-floods, building collapses and landslides.
Since monsoon rains hit the country on Jun. 25, the NDMA has recorded a total of 168 deaths, including those of 69 children and 31 women, while over 1,270 houses have been damaged or completely destroyed.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department warned on Thursday that “vigorous monsoon activity is likely in upper and central parts of the country during next three days,”
Rains cause significant human and material losses in South Asia every year, especially during the monsoon period between June and September.
Last year between June and October, Pakistan – one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change worldwide- witnessed its worst floods since 2010, resulting in the death of over 1,700 people and more than a million heads of livestock.
As many as eight million people were displaced and the total number of affected population stood at 33 million, or one-seventh of the population. EFE
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