——- 491 injured in rain-related incidents across Pakistan
——- Met predicts more rains across nation
——- Rescue work continues in flood-hit areas
——- PDMA warns of possible Indus flooding at Kalabagh, Chashma
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has released alarming statistics regarding the damage caused by monsoon rains and resulting floods across Pakistan, ARY News re-ported on Friday.
According to details released by the NDMA, a total of 178 people lost their lives in various rain-related incidents nationwide, while 491 individuals sustained injuries between June 26 and July 17.
Punjab recorded the highest number of fatalities with 103 deaths, followed by 38 in Khyber Pakh-tunkhwa, 20 in Sindh, and 16 in Balochistan.
In the past 24 hours alone, 54 people have died and 227 others were injured in multiple rain-induced accidents across the country.
The NDMA emphasized that flash flooding has been the leading cause of the high death toll, with structural collapses and other rain-induced hazards exacerbating the crisis.
Widespread heavy rainfall lashed various cities across Pakistan, significantly improving the weather conditions and breaking the spell of intense heat.
Heavy monsoon rainfall has brought Rawalpindi to a standstill, prompting authorities to declare a local holiday across the district.
The torrential downpour has led to widespread urban flooding, with water levels in the Nullah Leh ca-nal surging dangerously high, triggering evacuation warnings for residents in low-lying areas.
The city’s streets are waterlogged, and residents are navigating submerged areas as concerns mount over the overflowing Nullah Leh. Water levels at Gawalmandi and Katarian bridges have reached criti-cal thresholds, raising fears of widespread evacuations if the situation deteriorates further.
Earlier, Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Friday issued a high flood warning for the Indus River at Kalabagh and Chashma, following the province’s deadliest day of the ongoing monsoon season a day earlier, which claimed at least 63 lives amid widespread urban and riverine flooding.
The Flood Forecasting Division has warned that the Indus River is likely to attain high flood levels at Kalabagh and Chashma within the next 24 hours. In a letter issued to the divisional commissioners of Sargodha and Dera Ghazi Khan, the PDMA stressed the need for heightened preparedness and directed district administrations to coordinate closely with relevant departments for a unified and prompt response.
