Pakistan death toll from monsoon rains, flooding reaches 304
Jul 22, 2022, 7:02 PM | Updated: Jul 23, 2022, 7:04 am
A truck drives through a flooded road after a heavy rainfall in Karachi, Pakistan, Monday, July 11, 2022. The death toll from rain-related incidents over the past month has risen to over 140 as monsoon rains continue to lash Pakistan, triggering flash floods in some parts of the country, officials said. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)
(AP Photo/Fareed Khan)
ISLAMABAD (AP) — The death toll from more than five weeks of monsoon rains and flash flooding across Pakistan has reached 304, authorities said Saturday.
Since mid-June, the deluge has swollen rivers and damaged highways and bridges, disrupting traffic. Almost 9,000 homes have been fully destroyed or partially damaged.
Particularly hard-hit was the volatile, impoverished southwestern Baluchistan province, where 99 people died in rain-related incidents and subsequent flooding, followed by 70 dead in southern Sindh province.
There have also been 61 fatalities in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, and 60 in eastern Punjab province. The dead include women and children, and at least 284 people have been injured.
Every year, much of Pakistan struggles with the annual monsoons, drawing criticism about poor government planning. The season runs from July through September. Rains are essential for irrigating crops and replenishing dams and other water reservoirs in Pakistan.
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