Nearly 50 Dead in Pakistan after a Week of Flooding

Islamabad: Nearly a week of heavy monsoon rains and flash floods across Pakistan have left at least 46 people dead and injured dozens as continuing severe weather similar to past emergencies remains possible, local officials said today. According to Oman News Agency, the fatalities caused by abnormally strong downpours since Tuesday include 22 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 13 in eastern Punjab province, seven in southern Sindh, and four in southwestern Balochistan, as reported by the National Disaster Management Authority and provincial emergency officials. Forecasters are expecting above-normal rains during the monsoon season and alerts have been issued to the authorities concerned to take precautionary measures. They cannot rule out a repeat of the 'extreme situation' seen during devastating floods in 2022 when rains inundated a third of the country, killing 1,737 people and causing widespread destruction. The deaths from the past week include 13 tourists from a family of 17 who were swept away last Friday. The other four family members were rescued from the flooded Swat River in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.