150 dead in monsoon rains in Pakistan
In Pakistan, over 150 people have lost their lives since the onset of the monsoon season a month ago, according to the disaster management authority. Rescue teams in Punjab, the most populous province, are on high alert following renewed flooding, evacuating people by boat and retrieving bodies.
A spokesperson for the disaster management authority in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa told the German Press Agency that roads were flooded and bridges destroyed. Thousands of students have been unable to attend school since the start of the monsoon season.
The meteorological department in the country expects the current rainfall to continue until mid-next week. The International Rescue Committee warned earlier this week about the destruction and disease outbreaks caused by floodwater.
Pakistan typically experiences heavy rainfall during the monsoon season from July to September. However, extreme weather events are increasing. Experts blame the climate crisis for this. In the summer of 2022, Pakistan experienced a severe flood disaster that submerged a third of the country and claimed the lives of 1,700 people.
The International Rescue Committee expressed concern about potential disease outbreaks due to the flooding. Unfortunately, one of the victims of the monsoon season's devastation was announced to have died.
