- Death toll nears 90 as rains, flash floods paralyse Punjab, AJK
- Flash floods inundate several villages in Punjab, cause house collapses and landslides in Azad Kashmir
- Met Office says more intense rain to trigger flash flooding
- Pakistan Army personnel engaged in rescue efforts as soldier drowns in Sialkot mission
Dozens of people were killed and many others injured on Friday as torrential rains wreaked havoc in northeastern Punjab and Azad Kashmir and prompted a landslide in Gilgit-Baltistan, taking the death toll from the heavy downpour to at least 90.
Flash floods have inundated villages, prompting authorities to send troops to evacuate residents and assist in the emergency. Most of the deaths were caused by roof collapses, landslides and electric shocks.
A number of cities received over 130mm of rain. The meteorological office issued a severe weather warning for northeast Punjab and Kashmir, saying more intense rain was expected which could trigger flash flooding.
Pakistan regularly suffers from flooding during the monsoon season. In 2010, flash floods killed 1,700 people. In 2013, 178 people were killed and around 1.5 million affected by flooding.
Death toll mounts
The latest five deaths reported from Rawalpindi occurred when three men died when the wall of a house collapsed; a child drowned near Fauji Colony; a resident died from mud-slides near the Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench.
The deaths in Sialkot took place in the Pasroor area where three members of a family died when the roof of their house caved in.
A woman died, while nine, including eight children, were injured as the roof of a mud-built house collapsed in Lahore’s Shahdara area.
At least 38 people were killed in Pakistani-administered Kashmir with nine injured in rain-related incidents.
FDMA Secretary Akram Sohail said, “Most of them died due to landslides, roof collapse and drowning.” He added that heavy rains have destroyed communication links with remote villages.
In Muzaffarabad, two roads which connect the city to the rest of Pakistan have been blocked because of landslides.
Several houses have come down, many people have been injured and more have been made homeless due to the current weather situation. Phone connectivity has also been disrupted in the region.
Further, in Hajira, a small town in Azad Kashmir, up to 500 locals are trapped between a landslide and flash floods. There is around 600 millimeters of rain in the area, making it all the more difficult for the people trying to escape.
Meanwhile, eight of a family were killed in a landslide triggered by heavy rains in the Diamer area of Gilgit-Baltistan. The eight were inside their home when the landslide buried them.
Due to a low-level flood in River Jhelum and danger of flooding in rivers by heavy rains, locals residing near rivers have been issued alerts by the district administration to evacuate their homes.
Army soldier drowns during rescue
A Pakistan Army soldier drowned in Sialkot during an operation to rescue those trapped in parts of the district following heavy rains.
Teams from the army are engaged in rescue operations in Punjab and Azad Kashmir where it is making use of helicopters and boats to rescue those who have been left stranded and trapped following the torrential rains.
Schools will remain closed tomorrow in Lahore and other affected districts of the province, the Punjab Education Department said.
Water flow in Rawalpindi’s ‘Nullah Lea’ breached the 17 feel limit early on Friday. The administration issued an alert, and sought the army’s help. Administration authorities also started evacuation of people residing at vulnerable spots near Nullah Lea.
The spillways of the Rawal Dam were also opened on Friday as water in the reservoir reached maximum capacity due to the ongoing heavy downpour. The released water flowed towards adjacent areas of Islamabad and Rawalpindi causing large scale damage. At least 10 houses were completely destroyed. The Pakistan Army assisted in rescuing at least 70 people from flooded areas.
Crisis in IHK:
The death toll from severe flooding in Indian-controlled Kashmir has also risen to at least 28, as authorities asked for help from federal rescue officials as relentless rains continue to lash much of the Himalayan region, forcing thousands to abandon their homes in search of shelter.
The heavy rains spell has been generated by the first well-marked low pressure of the monsoon season that is moving towards Pakistan via Indian Rajasthan. Also, a day earlier in its warning, the Pakistan Meteorological Department Flood Forecasting Bureau in Lahore said the low pressure was likely to move to Pakistan in “the next 24 hours”.
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