256 killed, 616 injured in torrential rain-related incidents across Pakistan since June 26

Islamabad, July 24 (IANS) Torrential monsoon rain-related incidents have killed 256 people and injured 616 others across Pakistan since June 26, the country's disaster management authority said on Thursday.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in its latest report that four people lost their lives and five others sustained injuries in the past 24 hours.

The deceased include 123 children, 87 males, and 46 females, according to the NDMA. It added that among the injured are 243 males, 203 children and 170 females.

The eastern province of Punjab has been the worst affected, with 139 deaths and 477 injuries, followed by the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where 63 people lost their lives and 79 others were injured.

The Pakistani capital Islamabad recorded six deaths and three injuries, Xinhua news agency reported.

The NDMA added that 1,027 houses have been damaged and 364 cattle have perished since the start of the current monsoon spell on June 26.

Authorities have said that the torrential monsoon rain can hit the Punjab till Friday night and asked the provincial government to carry out relief operations and monitor vulnerable areas amid ongoing rainfall.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) issued a nationwide alert on widespread rain, wind, and thundershowers, and warned of heavy to heavy rainfalls in several regions, raising concerns over potential flash floods, urban flooding, and landslides.

Heavy downpours have also raised fears of urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Okara, Nowshera, and Peshawar.

Meanwhile, heavy downpours early Wednesday morning submerged low-lying areas in Lahore and several other cities across Punjab province, hampering daily activities and electricity supply in multiple neighbourhoods.

Furthermore, rainfall also disrupted dozens of power feeders as water accumulated on major roads, severely affecting mobility and local infrastructure.

Relentless rainfall also lashed Lahore, inundating several underpasses and streets, crippling the drainage systems.

--IANS

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