As relentless monsoon rains continue to batter Pakistan, the death toll from flood and rain-related incidents has climbed to 216, with at least 13 more casualties reported in the past 24 hours alone, according to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Geo TV reported.
Since the onset of the monsoon season on June 26, the extreme weather has left 580 people injured and caused widespread devastation, including nearly 800 homes destroyed and significant livestock losses, with around 200 animals killed or swept away by floods.
The NDMA stated that the most recent fatalities included 12 deaths in Punjab and one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, among them four children and three women. In total, 101 children have lost their lives during this deadly spell, with most deaths attributed to collapsed homes, flash floods, lightning strikes, drowning, and landslides.
The situation remains dire for families living in structurally weak homes and flood-prone areas. Many victims had little chance of survival once the torrential rains began.
The United Nations has also raised concerns about the potential risk of glacier lake outburst floods, especially in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan regions, where melting glaciers are adding to water volume in already stressed catchments.
UN News noted that the ongoing crisis underscores Pakistan’s deep vulnerability to climate shocks. The current pattern echoes the catastrophic 2022 floods, which killed over 1,700 people, displaced millions, and caused economic losses estimated at USD 40 billion.
Monsoon rains typically hit Pakistan between June and September, often triggering deadly landslides, damaging infrastructure, and displacing thousands, particularly in densely populated or poorly drained regions. The government and aid agencies are now bracing for further challenges as rains show no sign of abating.
