Pakistan monsoon rains death toll rises to 159 after 63 die in one day
The downpours on Thursday caused flooding and building collapses, with most of the deaths caused by the roofs of weaker homes failing. Lahore, the eastern provincial capital, reported 15 deaths, Faisalabad nine, and the farming towns of Okara, Sahiwal and Pakpattan several more.
Rescue teams used boats to evacuate families from villages along riversides further south in the morning, but the water had begun to recede by the afternoon.
'Children were screaming for help, and women stood on rooftops, waving their shawls and begging to be rescued,' said Tariq Mehbood Bhatti, a 51-year-old farmer in Ladian village.
Residents living in low-lying areas near the Nullah Lai River, which runs through Rawalpindi city, neighbouring the capital Islamabad, were ordered to evacuate after a sharp rise in the water level.
'Rescue teams are on standby for more evacuations,' a spokeswoman for the disaster agency said.
The Rawalpindi government declared a public holiday on Thursday to keep people at home.
Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder, reporting from Punjab's Chakwal district, said 'heavy rains [are] causing extensive damage and also loss of life' across the Punjab region.
Rains have 'swept away small dams which have burst at banks,' he said, adding that the military is using helicopters to evacuate people who are now surrounded by water.
'Pakistan has seen devastating floods over the last few years. This monsoon season is not different,' Hyder added. Experts have warned that the country can see extreme weather in the coming years, he said.
Since late June, the monsoon rains have killed 103 people and injured 393 in Punjab alone, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). More than 120 homes were damaged and six livestock animals killed.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) gave the toll of at least 159 deaths nationwide since June 25 and said more than 1,000 homes had been damaged.
A high flood alert was issued for the Jhelum River at the northern town of Mangla, where water inflows were expected to surge to high levels, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department. Authorities warned that adjoining streams could also overflow in the next 24 hours, putting nearby communities at risk.
Monsoon rains are a routine part of South Asia's climate and are essential for crop irrigation and replenishing water supplies. However, their adverse impact has worsened in recent years due to rapid urban expansion, poor drainage systems, and more frequent extreme weather events linked to climate change.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
14 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
At least 14 dead in South Korea after heavy rains trigger landslide, floods
The nationwide death toll from heavy rainfall in South Korea has risen to 14, authorities said, as fears grow of more deaths, with 12 more people missing since the disaster began. Two people died and four went missing in the resort town of Gapyeong on Sunday after a landslide engulfed houses and flooding swept away vehicles, the AFP news agency reported, citing government officials. A woman in her 70s was killed when her house collapsed in the landslide, while the body of a man in his 40s was found near a bridge after he drowned, South Korea's official news agency Yonhap reported. Close to 170mm (6.7 inches) of rainfall was recorded in the area in Gyeonggi province, about 70km (40 miles) east of Seoul, early on Sunday. But most of the deaths occurred in the southern county of Sancheong, which has seen nearly 800mm (31.5 inches) of rain since Wednesday. Two bodies were found there early on Sunday during search and rescue operations, raising the number of deaths in the rural county of 33,000 to eight, with six still missing. The adjacent county of Hapcheon received 699mm (27.5 inches) of rain, while the nearby county of Hadong got 621.5mm (24.5 inches). Two of the 12 people reported missing were from the southwestern city of Gwangju, Yonhap said. Yonhap also quoted authorities as saying they have registered 1,920 cases of flooded roads, soil loss and destroyed public facilities, and 2,234 other cases of damage to private property, such as buildings and farmland. A total of 12,921 people have taken shelter across 14 major cities and provinces, Yonhap said. South Korea typically experiences monsoon rains in July and is usually well-prepared. But this week, the country's southern regions were hit by especially intense downpours, with some of the heaviest hourly rainfall on record, official weather data showed. Scientists say climate change has made extreme weather events more frequent and intense around the world. In 2022, South Korea endured record-breaking rains and flooding, which killed at least 11 people.
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Al Jazeera
Four dead as South Korea lashed by torrential rain, displacing thousands
Four people have been confirmed dead and at least two others missing as torrential rains continue to batter South Korea for a fourth consecutive day, forcing thousands of people from their homes and stranding livestock in rising floodwaters, authorities said. Authorities warned on Saturday that up to 250mm (9.8 inches) of additional rain could fall throughout the day, raising concerns of further damage and casualties, the country's official Yonhap news agency reports. Rain is forecast to last until Monday in some areas, and weather officials have urged extreme caution against the risk of landslides and flooding, with warnings issued for most of South Korea. More than 2,800 people are still unable to return to their homes out of a total of more than 7,000 people evacuated in recent days, the Ministry of Interior said. Rainfall since Wednesday reached a record of more than 500mm (almost 20 inches) in South Chungcheong province's Seosan, located to the south of the capital, Seoul, the ministry added. According to Yonhap, areas of the country have received 40 percent of their annual average rainfall in just the past four days. Among those reported dead was a person who suffered a cardiac arrest inside a flooded vehicle on a road in Seosan. The man was taken to a nearby hospital but died later, officials were quoted by Yonhap as saying. A man in his 80s was found dead in the flooded basement of his home, while a third person died when a retaining wall collapsed onto a moving vehicle. Another person was also found dead in a stream, officials said. Two people remain missing in the southwest city of Gwangju. In the province of Chungcheong, cows were desperately trying to keep their heads above water after sheds and stables were flooded by the rainwater. Yonhap also reported a total of 729 cases of damage to public infrastructure, including flooded roads and the collapse of river facilities. Cases of private property damage have reached more than 1,000, including 64 flooded buildings and 59 submerged farmlands, it added. Rains were also expected in neighbouring North Korea. In July 2024, torrential rains also hammered parts of South Korea's southern regions, killing at least four people and causing travel chaos.
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- Al Jazeera
Pakistan monsoon rains death toll rises to 159 after 63 die in one day
Heavy monsoon rains across Pakistan's Punjab province have killed at least 63 people and injured nearly 300 in the past 24 hours, provincial officials said, bringing the nationwide death toll from the rains to at least 159 since late June. The downpours on Thursday caused flooding and building collapses, with most of the deaths caused by the roofs of weaker homes failing. Lahore, the eastern provincial capital, reported 15 deaths, Faisalabad nine, and the farming towns of Okara, Sahiwal and Pakpattan several more. Rescue teams used boats to evacuate families from villages along riversides further south in the morning, but the water had begun to recede by the afternoon. 'Children were screaming for help, and women stood on rooftops, waving their shawls and begging to be rescued,' said Tariq Mehbood Bhatti, a 51-year-old farmer in Ladian village. Residents living in low-lying areas near the Nullah Lai River, which runs through Rawalpindi city, neighbouring the capital Islamabad, were ordered to evacuate after a sharp rise in the water level. 'Rescue teams are on standby for more evacuations,' a spokeswoman for the disaster agency said. The Rawalpindi government declared a public holiday on Thursday to keep people at home. Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder, reporting from Punjab's Chakwal district, said 'heavy rains [are] causing extensive damage and also loss of life' across the Punjab region. Rains have 'swept away small dams which have burst at banks,' he said, adding that the military is using helicopters to evacuate people who are now surrounded by water. 'Pakistan has seen devastating floods over the last few years. This monsoon season is not different,' Hyder added. Experts have warned that the country can see extreme weather in the coming years, he said. Since late June, the monsoon rains have killed 103 people and injured 393 in Punjab alone, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). More than 120 homes were damaged and six livestock animals killed. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) gave the toll of at least 159 deaths nationwide since June 25 and said more than 1,000 homes had been damaged. A high flood alert was issued for the Jhelum River at the northern town of Mangla, where water inflows were expected to surge to high levels, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department. Authorities warned that adjoining streams could also overflow in the next 24 hours, putting nearby communities at risk. Monsoon rains are a routine part of South Asia's climate and are essential for crop irrigation and replenishing water supplies. However, their adverse impact has worsened in recent years due to rapid urban expansion, poor drainage systems, and more frequent extreme weather events linked to climate change.
