Monsoon Exposes Pakistan's Infra, Nearly Half Of 266 Killed During Rains Are Kids
In 2022, monsoon floods submerged a third of the country and claimed 1,700 lives.
Amid ongoing monsoon season in Pakistan, nearly half of the 266 people killed so far were children, many on their national school holidays, Geo News reported. The deadly consequence of the monsoon has once again exposed the Pakistani government's chronic failure to protect its most vulnerable citizens.
Since June 26, 126 children have lost their lives due to unusually heavy monsoon rains, with the highest number of casualties reported in Punjab, where rainfall is 70 per cent above last year's levels. Further, school closures left many children unsupervised, increasing their risk of exposure to flash floods, electrocution, drowning, and building collapses.
Geo News reported that Mazhar Hussain from the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Agency acknowledged, 'Children are very vulnerable to this situation," but his remarks only highlighted the lack of preventive safety measures.
'They are playing in the water, bathing, and electricity shocks can happen," he told Geo News.
Critics argue that these comments underlined Pakistan's failure to implement basic safety infrastructure and emergency protocols, despite facing heavy monsoons every year. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) confirmed 266 fatalities nationwide, with hundreds more injured.
News agency ANI reported that in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan, a landslide swept away vehicles in a popular tourist destination. In another tragic incident in late June, 13 tourists died after flash floods swept through a riverbank shelter.
Monsoon rains are critical for Pakistan's agriculture, supplying 70% to 80% of the country's annual precipitation between late June and September. However, they also bring repeated devastation due to the country's reactive disaster response.
In 2022, monsoon floods submerged a third of the country and claimed 1,700 lives. Yet, little has changed. As this year's death toll rises, especially among children, the ongoing crisis reflects a stark pattern: ordinary citizens continue to suffer the consequences of systemic neglect.
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First Published:
July 27, 2025, 18:27 IST
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