Torrential rains and flooding: 30 people killed in Pakistan
Lahore, record rainfall. Flooding, building collapses and a high risk of electrocution
Floods caused by torrential rains have caused severe damage in Lahore, Pakistan, killing at least 30 people this week. This was disclosed by the civil defense agency on Friday as the country’s second-largest city was hit by the heaviest rainfall in 40 years.
Monsoon season: new damage
The arrival of the monsoon season has triggered floods and landslides across South Asia in the past week, with at least 195 dead and nearly 200 missing in one disaster in neighboring India. Meanwhile, northern Pakistan has been hit by violent thunderstorms that have caused flooding, building collapses, and a high risk of electrocution.
Record rainfall
“The 44-year rainfall record has been broken again in Lahore,” said utility officials in the northeastern province of Punjab, where authorities have recorded six deaths and issued warnings of possible flash flooding in the south of the region later this week. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 12 children are among the 24 people who have died in the past three days due to rains and flooding in the northwestern province, according to data from the disaster management agency.
The intervention of the authorities
Pakistani authorities are now faced with this new emergency, with local people demanding immediate action to address the damage suffered and ensure assistance to affected families. In this regard, the government has announced the dispatch of humanitarian aid to the hardest hit areas, while nongovernmental organizations are mobilizing resources to provide medical care, food and shelter to those in need.
A country at risk
International organizations, such as the United Nations, consider Pakistan one of the most vulnerable countries to extreme weather events and climate change. They recall the 2022 floods that killed more than 1,700 people and displaced millions. The international community has therefore been called upon to support relief and reconstruction efforts amid growing concern about the impacts of climate change on the region. The disaster once again highlights the need for investment in disaster risk prevention and management in order to reduce the vulnerability of local communities and protect lives.