Monsoon rains and flash floods kill 24 people in Pakistan

Torrential rains and flash floods have claimed at least 24 lives, including 12 children, in Pakistan since the monsoon season began this week, according to disaster management authorities.

Officials in Punjab said that 13 people have lost their lives in the province since Wednesday. Among the victims were eight children who died after roofs and walls collapsed during intense downpours, the provincial disaster management authority said on Saturday.

Meanwhile, authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa confirmed 11 deaths due to flash floods and landslides over the past 24 hours.

According to the province’s disaster management agency, the dead included four children and three women, while six others were injured.

Ten of those deaths occurred in the Swat Valley, where local reports say floodwaters swept away families gathered near a riverbank. In addition to the casualties, 56 houses were damaged across the province, six of which were completely destroyed.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has issued warnings that the threat of more heavy rainfall and flash flooding will persist at least till Tuesday.

In a stark reminder of the country’s climate vulnerability, last month’s severe weather events, including intense storms and hail, left at least 32 people dead.

With its population of 240 million, Pakistan remains among the nations most at risk from the impacts of climate change, facing increasingly frequent and severe weather-related disasters.