At least 39 individuals have lost their lives in Pakistan following days of exceptionally heavy rainfall affecting the nation’s southwest.
Among those tragically killed were farmers struck by lightning while harvesting wheat, as confirmed by authorities.
Visuals online depict extensive farmland submerged in rainwater, with flash floods disrupting power and transportation networks.
Pakistan, grappling with climate change impacts, has seen a surge in extreme weather incidents.
In 2022, parts of Pakistan were submerged due to unprecedented flooding, resulting in over 1,700 fatalities and numerous injuries.
Millions were left homeless, enduring months without clean drinking water. Regions like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, heavily impacted in 2022, are again facing challenges from recent storms.
With forecasts predicting more rain, the National Disaster Management Authority warned of potential landslides and flash floods.
The most populated province, Punjab, has recorded the highest death toll, with 21 fatalities attributed to lightning strikes between Friday and Sunday, as per AFP.
Balochistan, particularly affected, declared a state of emergency with schools closed on Monday and Tuesday.
Pasni, a coastal town, has been inundated, described by Noor Ahmed Kalmati, the town’s municipal committee chairman, as resembling “a big lake” due to flash floods reaching residential and commercial areas.
Adjacent Afghanistan has also been hit by heavy flooding, claiming at least 33 lives and causing extensive home damage.
Scientists highlight the likely influence of global warming on these catastrophic floods, reinforcing Pakistan’s position as the fifth most vulnerable nation to climate change per the UN’s Global Climate Risk Index.
Source-BBC
