Islamabad: Pakistan's Punjab province is reeling under the brunt of rain-induced floods. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has once again issued a rain warning. According to a PDMA spokesperson, widespread rainfall is expected across the province from Thursday night until October 7th due to westerly winds entering northern Punjab.
How many people have died in floods in Pakistan?
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has released the figures for the floods and the resulting casualties caused by heavy rains. According to the latest data, at least 1,006 people, including 275 children, 568 men, and 163 women, have died in Pakistan since the end of June. Furthermore, a total of 1,063 people, including 321 children, 450 men, and 292 women, were injured due to the worsening flood situation.
Highest number of deaths in Punjab province
The NDMA recorded 304 deaths in Punjab province, including 110 children, 143 men, and 51 women. Flash floods have caused widespread devastation. The death toll in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has risen to 504, including 90 children, 338 men, and 76 women. Sindh has reported 80 deaths, including 35 children, 35 men, and 10 women, while Balochistan has reported 30 deaths, including 20 children, six men, and four women.
41 dead in Gilgit-Baltistan
Meanwhile, severe floods in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan have claimed the lives of 41 people, including six children, 26 men, and nine women; and of the 38 deaths reported in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, nine children, 17 men, and 12 women are among them.
Floods wreak havoc in Islamabad too
On the other hand, according to a report in the Pakistani daily The Express Tribune, nine deaths were recorded in the capital, Islamabad, including five children, three men, and one woman. Punjab suffered the most injuries, with 661 people affected, including 200 children, 258 men, and 203 women.
Floods cause massive crop damage
Following the breach of the Sutlej River embankment, more than 200 villages in several Punjab districts, including Multan, Lodhran, and Bahawalpur, are reportedly submerged. Reports indicate that stagnant floodwaters in these villages for the past 20 days have destroyed homes, ruined crops, and left thousands of residents homeless. Pakistani daily Dawn quoted Afzal Baloch, one of the residents, as saying, "Our homes are destroyed; our crops are ruined. We have been patient for 20 days, but now we need this water to drain out so we can think about restarting our lives."
Water wreaks havoc in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan
Furthermore, devastating floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa injured 218 people, including 70 children, 99 men, and 49 women. In Sindh, 87 people were injured, including 39 children, 29 men, and 19 women, highlighting the widespread impact of flooding across all age and gender groups. Five people were injured in Balochistan, including two children, two men and a woman.
