Pakistan monsoon rains kill over 660 in less than two months

At least 660 people have been killed and 929 injured in Pakistan due to heavy rains and related incidents since late June, when the monsoon season began in the country.

According to the local National Disaster Management Authority, around 2,500 buildings have been damaged, nearly 30,000 people evacuated and placed in temporary shelters, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Livestock and agriculture have also suffered significant losses.

The report states that the hardest-hit region is the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with 392 dead and 245 injured. In the northeastern Punjab province, 164 people have been killed and 582 injured. Fatalities were also reported in Sindh, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and several other regions.

The authorities are taking measures to save lives and minimise the damage caused by the disaster.

For the record, Pakistan regularly experiences devastating monsoon rains between June and September, which bring both relief from intense heat and widespread destruction. The country remains highly vulnerable to climate-related disasters due to poor infrastructure, rapid urbanization, and its geography. In 2022, catastrophic floods submerged a third of the country, killing more than 1,700 people and displacing millions.

By Khagan Isayev