Heavy rains and flash flooding across Pakistan have claimed the lives of 24 people, including 12 children, since the onset of the monsoon season earlier this week, according to disaster management officials.
In Punjab province alone, at least 13 people have died since Wednesday, the provincial disaster management authority reported on Saturday. Among the victims were eight children, who were killed when walls and roofs collapsed under the pressure of relentless rainfall.
In the northwestern region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, officials confirmed that 11 people were killed in the past 24 hours due to flash floods and landslides. The provincial disaster management agency noted that the casualties included four children and three women, with six others injured. Ten of the fatalities occurred in the Swat Valley, where local media reported a flash flood had swept away several families gathered on a riverbank.
Flooding in the province also damaged 56 homes, with six of them completely destroyed, the agency added.
Pakistan’s national meteorological service has warned that the risk of further heavy rain and flash flooding remains high until at least Tuesday.
Just last month, 32 people lost their lives in powerful storms. The country has already faced multiple extreme weather events this year, including intense hail storms during spring.
With a population of 240 million, Pakistan is among the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world and is experiencing extreme weather events with increasing regularity.
