Stronger monsoon spell to hit Pakistan from July 28

Half of 266 Pakistan monsoon deaths are children

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The Meteorological Department has predicted a fresh and intensified spell of monsoon rains across various regions of the country starting July 28, prompting authorities to issue flood and landslide warnings.

According to the Met Office, the fifth spell of monsoon — expected to be stronger than the previous ones — will impact Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan, with cloudbursts and torrential rains likely in several areas.

In its latest advisory, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab has issued a flood alert, especially for low-lying areas and local rivers in Islamabad and Punjab. Moderate flooding has already been observed in the Indus River at Taunsa and Chashma, the PDMA confirmed.

The Meteorological Department has also warned of landslides in upper and hilly regions due to heavy rain. Tourists and travelers are advised to plan their journeys carefully and stay updated on weather developments.

Meanwhile, almost half of the 266 deaths linked to Pakistan’s heavier-than-normal monsoon rains were children on their national school holidays, officials said Friday.

Most of the deaths have occurred in Punjab, the most populous province, where monsoon rainfall has been 70% higher than last year, said Mazhar Hussain from the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Agency (PDMA).

“Children are very vulnerable to this situation. They are playing in the water, bathing, and electricity shocks can happen,” he told the media. “That’s why their ratio is higher than any other, especially because it’s a holiday in Punjab, so schools and colleges are closed.”

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said that 266 people had been killed across the country since the monsoon rains hit on June 26, with 126 of them children.

Flash floods, building collapses, lightning strikes and drownings were among the causes of death. Hundreds more have been injured.

“Such death tolls are usually seen in August, but this year the impact has been markedly different,” an official said.

Rains are expected to strengthen in August, the national disaster agency has warned.

A landslide this week caused by torrential rains swept away several cars in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, a popular tourist destination marked by towering mountains, deep valleys and wide rivers.

In late June, at least 13 tourists were swept to their deaths while sheltering from flash floods on a raised river bank.

Monsoon season brings South Asia 70% to 80% of its annual rainfall, and runs from late June until September in Pakistan.

The annual rains are vital for agriculture and food security, and the livelihoods of millions of farmers, but also bring destruction.

In 2022, monsoon floods submerged a third of the country and killed 1,700 people.