The number of deaths due to heavy rains throughout the country has increased to 10, with 43 people injured, since strong winds and thunderstorms triggered sudden floods and destroyed houses in the central and northern parts of Pakistan, the authorities said Wednesday.
This is the second time in a week that a storm of such intensity wreaked havoc on many parts of the country, damaging crops, properties and other infrastructure. At least 19 people died and more than 90 wounds, since powerful wind storms and heavy rains had mistreated many areas in Islamabad, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday.
Four women and a man died in Kashmir and three in KP, said the National Authority for Disaster Management (NDMA), while other officials said two died in Punjab.
“A person is still missing,” a senior government official in Kashmir AFPAdding that 12 houses and a mosque were destroyed in a town.
According to the NDMA, the storm climate is expected to continue in the northern and central parts of the country until Saturday.
Pakistan is dealing with increasingly frequent extreme climatic events attributed to climate change. Temperatures reached almost record levels in April, up to 46.5 Celsius in Punjab parts. Schools in Punjab and Baluchistan have closed early for summer holidays due to heat.
