21 deaths reported in rain-related incidents across Pakistan

Islamabad, Sep 6 (IANS) At least 21 rain-related deaths were reported across Pakistan in the past 24 hours, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said.

Eight deaths occurred in eastern Punjab province, mostly due to riverine floods and house collapses, the authority said on Friday.

The report also confirmed 13 deaths in the Buner district of northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Xinhua news agency reported.

The victims had gone missing during flash floods on August 15 and were later declared deceased by local authorities following verification by the provincial disaster management authority.

Since the onset of the monsoon season on June 26, torrential rains and floods have killed at least 905 people and injured 1,044 others nationwide, according to the NDMA.

The disasters have also destroyed 9,363 houses and killed 6,180 cattle.

Authorities have issued fresh warnings for further rainfall, while rescue teams remain on alert and damage assessments are underway in the affected regions.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab provinces have been hit the hardest, bearing the brunt of the disastrous heavy downpours.

KP has recorded 488 deaths and 360 injuries, while Punjab reported 223 fatalities and 648 injuries. Additionally, Sindh has confirmed 58 deaths, Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) 41, Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) 38, Balochistan 26, and Islamabad 9, leading Pakistani daily, The Express Tribune, reported.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) cautioned that the River Sutlej at the Ganda Singh Wala region in Punjab will remain at exceptionally high flood levels, while a fresh flood wave in the River Chenab could reach "very high to exceptional" levels from Marala downstream in Punjab.

The River Indus at Guddu town in Sindh province is also expected to reach "high to very high flood" levels by September 6 or 7. PMD warned that ongoing heavy rainfall in upper catchments could trigger urban flooding in Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad.

Authorities have issued rain alerts for Punjab, KP, PoGB, and PoK, with scattered spells of rain expected in various regions of KP, including Chitral, Dir, Swat, Buner, and Abbottabad.

Authorities also warned of potential flash flooding in low-lying areas, along with the threat of overflowing streams and landslides in hilly regions.

According to PDMA, Punjab floodwaters from the Chenab have submerged 261 villages in Jhang and at least two dozen in Muzaffargarh.

The disaster has also damaged nearly 240 bridges and more than 670 kilometres of roads across Pakistan.

--IANS

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