Islamabad: At least 788 people have died and over 1,000 others injured as relentless monsoon rains continue to lash Pakistan since June 26, local media reported on Monday.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the fatalities include 200 children, 117 women, and 471 men, Dawn reported. Provincial breakdowns show Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the hardest hit with 469 deaths, followed by Punjab (165), Sindh (51), Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (45), Balochistan (24), Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (23), and Islamabad (8).
NDMA data also indicated that among the injured, there are 279 children, 246 women, and 493 men. Punjab reported the highest number of injuries at 584, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (285), Sindh (71), Gilgit-Baltistan (42), Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (28), Balochistan (5), and Islamabad (3).
As part of ongoing disaster response efforts, authorities have rescued 25,644 people across 512 operations nationwide.
The situation worsened over the weekend, with at least 13 deaths and 52 injuries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to heavy rains. In Dera Ismail Khan alone, seven people were killed as strong winds and downpours uprooted trees, snapped power lines, and caused roof collapses, officials told Geo News.
Urban areas were not spared. In Lahore, neighbourhoods including Gulberg, Lakshmi Chowk, and Jail Road were flooded, with water entering homes and shops. Islamabad and Rawalpindi saw overflowing streams in Bhara Kahu, leaving vehicles stranded, while heavy rains in Gujranwala, Gujrat, Jhelum, and Chiniot caused power outages as poles fell and feeders tripped, The Express Tribune reported.
The monsoon shows no signs of abating, continuing to inflict widespread destruction across Pakistan.
