Rains kill at least 37 within 48 hours in Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa worst hit

Rains kill at least 37 within 48 hours in Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa worst hit

At least 37 people were killed in rain-related incidents across Pakistan in the past 48 hours, authorities said on Sunday.

The rains that have swept across Pakistan have led to the collapse of houses and triggered landslides that blocked roads, particularly in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province, they said.

At least 27 people, mostly children, reportedly died in rain-related incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan since Thursday night, the provincial disaster management authority said.

As many as 37 people have been injured in the torrential rains that hit ten districts, including Bajaur, Swat, Lower Dir, Malakand, Khyber, Peshawar, North, South Waziristan, and Lakki Marwat, of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the past 48 hours, it said.

Chief Minister KPK Ali Amin Gandapur said rain-affected people would not be left alone in this critical hour and would be duly compensated against their damages.

At least five people died in southwestern Balochistan province after floods swamped the coastal town of Gwadar, forcing authorities to use boats to evacuate people.

According to officials, heavy rainfall in Gwadar over the past two days disrupted normal life, rendering hundreds of people homeless.

Several dozens of human settlements and commercial establishments collapsed as flood water entered houses, while roads were badly affected.

Casualties and damage were also reported in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the National Disaster Management Authority said, adding that five persons were killed in the region.

A spokesperson from the NDMA said emergency relief and heavy machinery were sent to the region to remove debris blocking highways.

The Karakoram Highway, which links Pakistan with China, was still blocked in some places due to landslides triggered by rain and snow, according to the spokesman for the northern Gilgit Baltistan region, Faizullah Faraq.

He said the snowfall was unusually heavy for this time of year.

Authorities advised tourists against travelling to the scenic north due to weather conditions. Last week, several visitors were stranded there because of heavy rains.

Pakistan this year has witnessed a delay in winter rains, which started in February instead of November. Monsoons as well as winter rains cause damage in Pakistan every year.

In 2022, unprecedented rainfall and flooding devastated many parts of Pakistan, killing more than 1,800 people, affecting around 33 million and displacing nearly eight million people. The disaster also caused billions of dollars in damage.