ISLAMABAD – A new round of monsoon rains has caused a lot of damage and death in many places of Pakistan. At least seven people have died and scores more have been hurt. Dera Ismail Khan in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province was struck the hardest. Strong gusts and heavy rain caused a lot of roofs to fall down.
In the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, heavy rainfall caused streams and sewers to overflow and cause flash floods. In Bhara Kahu, which was pounded the hardest, water got into homes and businesses, leaving cars stuck. To deal with rising water levels, officials had to open the spillways of Rawal Dam. Hiking paths in the adjacent Margalla Hills were restricted for safety reasons.
The rainy season has had an impact on other places too. Authorities in Gilgit-Baltistan have warned of more flooding, which has caused hotels along the Gilgit riverfront to close and schools to close on Monday. Several districts in Punjab province also recorded significant rain. Two homes and a mosque were damaged by landslides in the Bagh district of Azad Kashmir.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has put out a weather advisory saying that heavy rain would continue to fall over the country until at least August 30. The NDMA has put provincial and district governments on high alert to carry out rescue and relief activities. They have also told people to be careful and avoid needless travel, especially to places that are prone to flooding or are mountainous.
The most recent deaths are part of a sad total from the current monsoon season. A different report says that more than 460 people have died in Pakistan in the previous two weeks alone. Since the start of the monsoon season in June, the death toll has risen to almost 800. The situation is still quite bad as officials try to help the people who have been harmed and lower the likelihood of more disasters.