Rain-related accidents cause 83 deaths in Pakistan

Islamabad: At least 83 people were killed and 74 others injured in separate rain-related accidents across Pakistan during the ongoing month, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Tuesday.

According to the data from July 1 to 25, the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was the worst hit province in the ongoing spell of torrential rains. The province saw 25 people killed and 21 others injured.

In Punjab province, 23 people were killed and 36 others injured in various accidents caused by rain, whereas a total of 13 people were killed and 10 others injured in the south of Sindh and southwest Balochistan.

Pakistan-controlled Kashmir area was also badly affected by the rains, where 22 people were killed and seven others injured after being hit by cloud burst. Local officials said flash floods triggered by the cloud burst washed away over 70 houses.

The rains damaged roads and bridges, disrupting traffic and bringing social and economic activities to standstill. The heavy downpour also paralysed life in multiple districts with water inundating low-lying areas, blocking sewage and causing floods.

The provincial government has also issued notices to several dilapidated buildings, advising the residents to vacate them.

About 324 houses were also destroyed in the rains, leaving hundreds of people homeless. The NDMA and the provincial governments have provided about 580 tents, 7 tons of food items and 800 blankets to the affected families.

Scattered thunderstorm and heavy rains are expected in all the four provinces of the country till August 2, the country's weather office said, raising concerns about further loss of life and property in vulnerable areas.

The ongoing rains are caused by the monsoon winds that are the major source of downpour in the country during the months from July to September. The meteorological department forecast more rains during the ongoing season and issued an advisory for members of the public to protect themselves from rain-related accidents.