Red alert: Days of monsoon rain and flash floods kill at least 72 in Pakistan

Ten days of heavy monsoon rains and flash floods across Pakistan killed at least 72 people and injured more than 130, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and local officials said on Monday.

The fatalities, since June 26, were reported in several provinces: the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, eastern Punjab, southern Sindh and southwestern Balochistan provinces.

The NDMA also urged local officials to remain on high alert and advised tourists to avoid visiting affected areas, as more rains could block highways and trigger flash floods.

Earlier, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a weather advisory warning of widespread rain, wind and thundershowers expected across multiple regions from the night of July 6 through July 8.

Commuters make their way through a flooded street after heavy rainfall in Karachi. AFP

The wet spell is forecast to bring heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated locations, heightening the risk of flash floods, urban flooding and landslides, particularly in northern and mountainous areas.

Emergency services have been on maximum alert since last month after 17 tourists from the same family were swept away by the Swat River in the northwest. Four were rescued and the bodies of the other 13 were later recovered.

Videos circulating online of the family, stranded on a rooftop and pleading for help, sparked outrage and accusations of slow response by emergency crews. Authorities have warned they cannot rule out a repeat of extreme weather like the 2022 devastating floods when rains at one point inundated a third of the country, killing 1,737 people

According to the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), rainfall is expected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Islamabad, Kashmir, Balochistan and southeastern Sindh.

Heavier downpours are likely in Upper Punjab, the Potohar region, northern Balochistan and Kashmir. The PMD cautioned that the downpours could lead to flash floods in local streams and urban flooding in low-lying areas of major cities.

In the past 24 hours, heavy rainfall was recorded in Islamabad, Jhelum, Lahore and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir and Balochistan. The highest temperature was recorded at 47°C in Nokkundi.

 Citizens have been advised to stay alert and follow official weather updates.

Agencies