At least 65 people have died in floods caused by torrential rains over four days in Pakistan, where the amount of rainfall since early April is twice the usual for the month, Pakistani authorities said today.
Torrential rains that fell from Friday to Monday caused flash floods and collapsed houses, while 28 people were killed by lightning.
The heaviest toll – 32 dead, including 15 children – was recorded in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in the northwestern part of the country, where 1.300 houses were destroyed.
Heavy rain ☔ and flood in Charsadda Pakistan pic.twitter.com/qQgSfrjak5
— Sami Khan Yousafzai (@Engsamikhan) April 15, 2024
"The collapse of walls and ceilings caused all the casualties," Anwar Khan, a spokesman for the regional disaster management authority, said today.
The residents of the flooded houses were forced to take refuge in areas of higher altitude where they live in makeshift accommodation.
"In April we observed unusual rainfall patterns," explained Zaheer Ahmad Babar, a spokesman for the Pakistan Meteorological Department.
"From April 1 to 17, we experienced rainfall levels that were 99% above the historical average," he added.
"Climate change is an important factor" in this development, he noted, clarifying that the comparison was made based on data available for the last thirty years.
State of emergency has been declared in # Pakistan as heavy rains trigger floods, claiming at least 50 lives#Flood #Asi to #Flashflood #Flooding #Rain #Weather #viral #climate pic.twitter.com/CTEfjXkcZx
— Earth42morrow (@Earth42morrow) April 16, 2024
The rain stopped yesterday, Tuesday, and today in most of the country, but more rain is expected in the coming days.
Pakistan, the world's fifth most populous country, is among those most threatened by climate change.
In the summer of 2022, unprecedented floods submerged a third of the country, affecting more than 33 million people and killing more than 1.700.
Source: protothema.gr
