Flash floods-landslides in Pakistan due to heavy rains, 35 dead

International Desk: Northern region of Pakistan has been affected by heavy rains. Heavy rains have caused flash floods in this region of the country and many surrounding areas have been washed away and landslides have occurred. At least 35 people were killed in two days. Many more people have suffered. Anadolu news agency reported this information in a report on Thursday (August 1) citing officials and locals.

The news agency said the inflow of rainwater wreaked havoc in parts of the picturesque Chitral district of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Heavy rains and flash floods there swept away houses, bridges and livestock last Wednesday and cut off many suburbs and villages from the city. Heavy rains have also caused landslides and mudslides. Due to this, the road was blocked at various points.

Local Israr Ahmed told Anadolu over the phone, "The situation is very serious. By the grace of Allah, the human losses are not so great compared to the devastation caused by the rains and flash floods. However, he said that there has been a lot of infrastructural damage. According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 19 people lost their lives and 15 others were injured in rain-related accidents in different parts of the province in the last 48 hours.

Around 11 members of the same family died when the basement of a house was flooded by rainwater in Kohat district on Tuesday. Eight more people were killed in lightning strikes in the southern Thar desert on Tuesday. Hundreds of tourists were also stranded for two days after flash floods cut off a key bridge connecting the popular tourist destinations of Kagan and Naran from the rest of the country.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast scattered rains and floods across the country from August 2 to 6 in major cities like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. The National Disaster Management Authority has asked everyone to be alert and take necessary measures to avoid human and infrastructural losses due to possible rains. The country's state-run organization coordinates various relief and rescue agencies.

The rainy season from July to August has long wreaked havoc in South Asian countries. However, its intensity has increased in recent years. And that is mainly due to climate change.