Islamabad, Pakistan (CU)_ According to government authorities, at least 150 people have been killed by monsoon rains over the past month in Pakistan, where downpours continue to cause flash floods in the major cities of the country. According to the National Disaster Management Authority, the confirmed fatalities include 91 women and children. Further, the monsoon rainfall has also wreaked havoc on houses, highways, bridges, and power plants around the nation.
According to reports, since June 14, at least 163 individuals have been hurt in rain-related accidents. Additionally, heavy rains and flash floods have also destroyed over thousands of homes throughout the nation. The situation was especially terrible in the country’s largest metropolis, Karachi, where entire neighborhoods remained underwater on Monday. People were stuck or forced to escape knee-deep water on foot or bicycles. Some locals brought boats to transport people to safer locations.
Abdul Raheem, a resident, said, “At the moment, the situation is such that we need to travel by boat rather than in vehicles as the roads are flooded”. Other inhabitants of the port city reported being forced to ditch their vehicles on waterlogged roads and wade through water up to their waists. Authorities called in paramilitary forces and the navy to assist in draining flooded streets and in rescue operations.
According to reports, this year’s rainfall is about twice as heavy as normal. The rain began in mid-June, causing devastation in the south-western region of Balochistan, which has claimed 65 lives so far. The disaster agency reported at least 26 deaths in Karachi, the metropolis of Sindh province. Heavy rainfall has also battered Islamabad and the eastern Punjab province since last month and has claimed at least 23 lives in these regions.
Authorities are providing tents, food, and other vital things to hundreds of residents in the north and south-west who have been hit by rain. According to experts, climate change is the reason behind Pakistan’s heavier-than-average rainfall. Several Pakistani cities suffer annually from the yearly monsoon flood, drawing criticism of the government’s inadequate preparedness.
