Flash floods, heavy rain kill 64 Pakistanis in a week

Flash floods and torrential rains have claimed the lives of 64 people and left 117 injured across Pakistan over the past week, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Wednesday.

The highest number of casualties was reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where 23 people—among them 10 children—lost their lives. Local media reported that 14 of the victims were swept away by a flash flood in the Swat Valley.

In Punjab, heavy rainfall and flooding caused the collapse of several homes, resulting in 21 fatalities, including 11 children. Meanwhile, 15 deaths were recorded in Sindh province and five in Balochistan.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has issued warnings of continued heavy rainfall and potential flash flooding in several regions, with elevated risk expected to persist until at least Saturday.

Read more: NDMA issues heavy rains, flooding alert until July 5

This deadly spell of weather comes just weeks after 32 people were killed in severe storms in May. Pakistan, home to over 255 million people, remains one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

The nation has seen an increase in extreme weather events in recent years, including strong hailstorms and unprecedented flooding.

In 2022, catastrophic monsoon floods submerged nearly a third of the country and killed more than 1,700 people.