Almost 50 people killed after 3 days of heavy monsoon rains across Pakistan

Nearly 50 people have died across Pakistan after three days of heavy monsoon rain that triggered severe flash floods, the disaster management authority reported Sunday, August 9, 2020. The downpours also damaged houses, roads, and bridges.

Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority reported 19 fatalities in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 12 in southern Sindh, eight in Punjab, and 10 in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region in the past three days.

In Sindh, rescue teams rushed to flood-affected areas to evacuate trapped people. The military said it had rescued more than 100 people from the Dadu District.

Heavy rains also damaged about 100 houses and triggered a breach in a flooded main canal, inundating several villages.

In Balochistan, many houses were damaged after the intense rainstorms. At least eight people died in rain-related incidents.

Younus Aziz Mengal, a spokesperson for the provincial disaster management authority, added that more than a dozen people are still missing.

Severe flooding damaged highways and bridges, cutting off the port city of Gawadar on the Arabian Sea.

Heavy rains began last week and continued on Sunday, inundating streets in Lahore City.

In Karachi, daily life was disrupted after sewage flooded much of the streets, prompting prime minister Imran Khan to order the army to help authorities in dealing with the situation.

The country's meteorological department forecasts heavy rains to continue until next week.

Featured image credit: Sara Magsi