Pakistan Rains Latest Update: Emergency relief and heavy machinery have been dispatched to clear debris obstructing the highways. Several locations such as the Karakoram Highway which connect China and Pakistan, were closed due to landslides caused by rain.
Islamabad: A major part of northwest Pakistan on Sunday was swept away by heavy rains, leaving at least 36 dead and 50 others injured. Authorities reported that landslides caused many buildings to collapse and obstructed roadways. The majority of the thirty individuals who lost their lives in the Khyber district’s Swat Valley were women and children. The province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan, also saw several deaths.
Adversity Caused By Heavy Rains
Following flooding in the coastal town of Gwadar, five people perished in the southwest province of Baluchistan. According to Baluchistan’s Chief Minister, Sarfraz Bugti, boats were utilized by authorities to evacuate people. Seven hundred houses have been damaged so far.
According to reports, in order to clear the debris obstructing highways, officials were dispatching heavy machinery and emergency relief.
In several locations, the Karakoram Highway—which connects China and Pakistan—was closed due to landslides caused by rain and snow. The snowfall was exceptionally severe for this time of year, according to Faizullah Faraq, the spokesman for the northern Gilgit Baltistan province.
Advisory Issued By Authorities
Due to the weather, authorities have also warned tourists not to travel to the north of Pakistan. Rainfall last week left a number of people trapped there.
The winter rains in Pakistan began in February this year rather than November as usual. Every year, Pakistan experiences damage from the monsoon and winter rains.
Previous Incidents Of Heavy Rain
Around 33 million people were affected by the rains and floods that hit several parts of Pakistan in 2022, killing over 1,739 people and uprooting almost 8 million. Billions of dollars’ worth of damage were also caused by the accident.
Authorities in Afghanistan have reported that over 5,000 animals have perished and 403 dwellings have been demolished in the last three days due to the severe winter.
The national meteorological department’s chief, Mohammad Naseem Moradi, stated that comparable weather was last recorded in 2015.