Rawalpindi: In a tragic turn of events, heavy monsoon rains have claimed the lives of at least 54 people in just 24 hours across Pakistan, the country’s disaster management agency reported on Thursday. The latest fatalities have pushed the nationwide death toll to around 180 since the onset of the monsoon season on June 26.
Punjab province, the most severely affected region, bore the brunt of the torrential downpour that began on Wednesday morning and continued almost uninterrupted, leading to widespread urban flooding. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) confirmed that the majority of the deaths were reported from Punjab, where homes, roads, and low-lying areas were submerged under water.
A spokeswoman for the NDMA told reporters that the death count was recorded as of 8:00 am local time on Thursday. “In the last 24 hours, 54 people were killed and 227 injured across Pakistan,” she said. The monsoon season has so far claimed around 180 lives, including 70 children, and left nearly 500 people injured.
In Rawalpindi, a city adjacent to the capital Islamabad, authorities have issued evacuation orders for residents living near the swollen river. With water levels rising dangerously, emergency measures have been activated. The local administration also declared Thursday a public holiday to ensure residents remain indoors and safe.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned that heavy rainfall will persist until Friday, prompting the government to urge people in vulnerable areas to prepare emergency kits containing food, water, and essential medicines for at least three to five days.
This disaster echoes the devastating 2022 monsoon floods, which submerged one-third of the country and resulted in the loss of 1,700 lives, underscoring the recurring threat Pakistan faces from extreme weather patterns driven by climate change.
