ISLAMABAD: The ongoing record monsoon rains in Pakistan continued causing massive floods as in the past 24 hours 10 more people lost their lives owing to various rain-related incidents which took the national death tally to 186 since June 14, 2022.

According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the floods triggered by monsoon rains have also destroyed 1,533 houses nationwide, of which, 933 are partially damaged and 578 completely razed to the ground, leaving thousands of people homeless.

The NDMA’s flood-related figures released on Friday said that 181 people have also got injured due to floods countrywide and 1,429 livestock was also killed.

With 69 deaths, 49 injuries, 999 houses destroyed, eight bridges swept away in flood waters, and 521 livestock killed, the southern province of Balochistan is the worst flood-hit area in the country.

The floods in Balochistan have killed 21 men, 24 women, and 24 children, the NDMA data revealed. Out of 999 houses damaged, 567 were partially destroyed, and 432 were completely destroyed.

The death toll from floods in Sindh province has jumped to 44 as the NDMA reported six more deaths in the province in the past 24 hours including 35 men and nine children. In Sindh, 15 people have been injured due to rain-related incidents.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the floods have claimed the lives of 34 people, which include 10 men, 12 women, and 12 children. The authorities have reported 40 injured in rain-related incidents in the KP which include 11 men, 16 women, and 13 children.

Moreover, 146 livestock were also lost owing to the floods. A total of 420 houses are also destroyed in the KP by the intense rainwater, of which, 329 are partially damaged and 91 were completely destroyed.

In Punjab, a total of 26 people including 14 men, six women, and six children have lost their lives owing to various rain-related incidents, while 66 people including 37 men, 24 women, and five children have received injuries.

In Gilgit-Baltistan, eight people including one man, four women, and three children have lost their lives. The authorities have reported three people injured in the G-B region.

In Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), four people including three men and one woman lost their lives as a result of torrential rains.

According to the NDMA, eight people were also injured in the AJK region, wherein, a total of 56 houses are also damaged, of which, 54 were completely destroyed and two partially. The flood waters have killed, at least, 741 livestock in the AJK region.

In Islamabad region so far one death is reported owing to the rainwater, while authorities have mentioned no other losses in the region.

Medium to high-level flooding is expected in the hill torrents of DG Khan Division along with rivers/nullahs of Balochistan within the next two days. Urban flooding in Sindh is most likely during the same period, the NDMA mentioned.

According to the Pakistan Metrological Department (PMD)’s weather forecast for the next 24 hours, scattered to widespread thunderstorm/rain of moderate to heavy intensity with isolated very heavy falls is expected over Lahore, Multan, Bahawalpur, and D G Khan, and Kalat Divisions along with northeast Balochistan.

Scattered thunderstorm, rain of moderate intensity is also expected over the upper catchments of all the major rivers along with Islamabad, Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, DI Khan, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, and Sahiwal Divisions, and Sindh, and the rest of Balochistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022