People rest at a makeshift tent after their houses were destroyed during torrential rains in southwest Pakistan's Quetta on July 5, 2022. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)
Rain-related accidents have killed 97 people and injured 101 others across Pakistan over the last three weeks.
ISLAMABAD, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Ninety-seven people were killed and 101 others injured in separate rain-related accidents across Pakistan over the last three weeks, the country's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Thursday.
Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province remained the worst hit where 49 people were killed and 48 others injured in the ongoing spell of monsoon rains that started on Monday in the province, according to a situation report released by the NDMA.
A total of 17 people were killed in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province followed by 11 in Sindh, 10 in the north Gilgit Baltistan region, and 10 more in other parts of the country, the authority added.
Two roads, five bridges, and five shops were swept away by flash floods across the country whereas 226 houses were completely destroyed and 481 others partially destroyed, said the report.
The authority said 1,326 cattle also perished in separate incidents across the country.
People affected by rain are seen with their belongings in southwest Pakistan's Quetta on July 5, 2022. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)
Most of the deaths and injuries happened due to separate incidents of electrocution, roof collapse, and flash floods caused by blockages of large water drainages in urban areas.
The country's Minister of Climate Change Sherry Rehman told a press conference on Wednesday that the country has seen 87 percent more rains than normal during the monsoon season this year.
She added that there had been 16 incidents of glacier bursts in the north Gilgit Baltistan region, caused by the extreme heatwave.
The minister said Pakistan is among the 10 most vulnerable countries to climate change in the world, stressing that the public should start taking measures to mitigate the weather impacts or things will get worse in the future.
"The recent rain disaster is a national tragedy. It is a matter of great concern, but we should realize that it is only the beginning and we have to prepare for it," she added.
The official warned that the water levels in the country are consistently falling, though an improvement has been witnessed due to the recent rains. The people have to use water with caution otherwise there might be an acute water shortage in the coming days.
People evacuate miners after a flash flood inundated a coal mine due to torrential rains in Thatta district in south Pakistan's Sindh province on July 7, 2022. (Str/Xinhua)
She said the monsoon started earlier than usual this year, and the changing rain patterns are one of the obvious indicators of climate change.
During this monsoon season, the worst-hit regions of Balochistan and Sindh provinces received 274 percent and 261 percent more rains respectively than usual.
The country's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced a compensation of 1 million rupees (about 4,821 U.S. dollars) for each family of the people killed in the rain-triggered accidents.
Expressing grief over the loss of lives, he directed the rescue teams to speed up the pace of relief work to ease the sufferings of the people living in the areas inundated by water.
Briefing about relief activities, the NDMA report said all the required things including blankets, tents, food, medicine, and portable washrooms have been dispatched to the affected areas.
In a weather advisory, the NDMA said the current spell of rain is expected to end on Thursday, after which the weather is expected to remain dry and hot in most parts of the country. ■