105 killed, 140 injured as monsoon rains wreak havoc in Pakistan

At least 105 people were killed and 140 others injured in separate accidents triggered out by the current spell of monsoon rains across Pakistan over the last one month, officials said Wednesday.


The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in a statement that the torrential rains that have been lashing the country since last month have also damaged 286 houses across the country.

The eastern Punjab province is the worst-hit area where the gushing waters have killed at least 31 people, injured another 83 and destroyed 34 houses.

A total of 19 people were killed in the northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, 26 in southwest Balochistan province, 16 in northwest tribal area, six in south Sindh province, four in disputed Kashmir area and three in capital city of Islamabad.

The rain-water has rendered thousands of people homeless, forcing them to live under the open skies amid the surging water levels in rivers, drainages and other water resources.

Teams from the NDMA and provincial governments were carrying out rescue and relief operation in the affected areas.

• Monsoon rains hit Pakistan every year in June and the season normally ends in the first week of September. During this period, the country receives heavy rains which cause flooding in various areas. 

The most destructive flood hit parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh in 2010. The flood swept away 20 percent of the land, killed 1,540 people and injured 2,088. According to UN report, 557,226 houses had been destroyed and over 6 million people had been displaced in the flood.

More rains have been predicted by the Meteorological Department of Pakistan at isolated places across the country over the next 24 hours.
  [globaltimes.cn/Xinhua]
3/8/17