Death toll rises to 216 as monsoon wreaks havoc in Pakistan

Islamabad [Pakistan], July 21 (ANI): At least 13 more people were killed due to rain and flood-related incidents in the last 24 hours in Pakistan as heavy monsoon continues to lash parts of the country, Geo TV reported on Monday, citing Pakistan's disaster management authority. The downpours have thus pushed the death toll to 216 people since June 26, and have left 580 injured so far.
According to Geo TV, the rainfall have caused flooding and resulted in the collapse of buidlings, with the most number of deaths caused by the roofs of weaker homes failing. The NDMA said most of the deaths were caused by collapsed homes, sudden floods, lightning strikes, drowning, and landslides.
Pakistan's disaster management watchdog reported that 12 were reported in Punjab and one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Among the victims were four children and three women.
Since the start of this deadly spell, 101 children have died.
Many families living in vulnerable structures had little chance once the rains hit.
The statement issued by the NDMA also further added that nearly 800 homes have been destroyed since the rains began, while livestock losses are also piling up, with nearly 200 animals reportedly killed or swept away by floods, Geo TV noted.
According to a recent report by UN News, there are also fears of glacier lake outburst floods in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit Baltistan regions.
UN News highlighted how these floods show Pakistan's vulnerability to climate shocks. In the past in 2022, the monsoon floods had killed more than 1,700 people, displaced millions and devastated water systems. It had also resulted in economic damage estimated at nearly USD 40 billion.
Pakistan faces regular monsoon flooding from June to September, often resulting in deadly landslides, infrastructure damage and large-scale displacement, particularly in densely populated or poorly drained regions. (ANI)