21 deaths reported in rain-related incidents across Pakistan

As relentless monsoon rains continue to lash Pakistan, swelling rivers and crumbling homes, at least 21 more lives were lost in the past 24 hours, the NDMA said on Friday, 5 September, pushing the nation deeper into a season of sorrow and devastation.

In Punjab, swollen rivers and collapsing homes claimed eight lives, while in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Buner district, the fate of 13 souls swept away by the 15 August flash floods was finally sealed, their deaths confirmed after grim verification by local authorities.

Since the onset of monsoon on 26 June, torrential rains and floods have killed at least 905 people and injured over 1,000 nationwide, destroying 9,363 homes and killing more than 6,000 cattle, according to NDMA.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab remain the worst-hit provinces, with 488 and 223 deaths respectively. Other regions have also suffered casualties: Sindh (58), Gilgit-Baltistan (41), Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (38), Balochistan (26), and Islamabad (9), reported The Express Tribune.

Authorities have issued fresh alerts as major rivers swell. The Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala in Punjab is at “exceptionally high” flood levels, while a new wave in the Chenab could reach “very high to exceptional” levels downstream from Marala. The Indus near Guddu in Sindh is expected to hit “high to very high” flood levels by 6–7 September.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department warned of urban flooding in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, and Islamabad due to heavy rainfall in upper catchments. Flash floods and landslides are also feared in hilly regions of KP, PoK, and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Floodwaters from the Chenab have already submerged 261 villages in Jhang and dozens more in Muzaffargarh. Nationwide, nearly 240 bridges and over 670 km of roads have been damaged, while rescue and relief operations continue in the worst-hit areas.

With IANS inputs