Incessant rains leave a trail of destruction

Death toll rises to 43 in Balochistan; Sherry Rehman says rainfall 87% higher than normal showers


Waqas Ahmad/Syed Ali Shah July 06, 2022
Incessant rains leave a trail of destruction

print-news
ISLAMABAD/QUETTA:

A severe monsoon spell this year caused extensive damage up and down the country, killing several dozen people, triggering flash floods because of glacial lake outbursts, with Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan bearing the brunt of merciless rains.

The death toll in torrential rains and flash-floods-related incidents rose to 43 on Wednesday, from 25 overnight, where many areas of G-B, particularly the Ghizer district, were mostly affected by at least 16 glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) events over a few weeks.

According to Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman, the country received 87% above normal rainfall during the current monsoon season, adding that there were 16 GLOF events this season due to extreme heatwave.

A massive rescue operation had been launched in Balochistan where the death toll rose to 43 on Wednesday night. Most of the deaths occurred in Quetta, Qilla Saifullah, Qilla Abdullah, Bolan, Kohlu and Barkhan districts, officials said.

They added that at least 50 people were injured in rain-related incidents, who had been shifted to various hospitals. The provincial government had declared emergency in all government hospitals.

Elsewhere, two more people died in Karachi of electrocution and roof collapse, a day after the city received first monsoon showers. Three women were swept away by flood in Tochi river in North Waziristan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa after heavy rains.

“For me, it’s a national tragedy,” Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman told a news conference in Islamabad “When people die like that, it’s not a small thing... It is just the beginning. We have to prepare for it.”

Overall, the minister put the death toll at 77 since June 14, which included 37 fatalities in Balochistan and excluded the deaths which occurred in Karachi and North Waziristan later in the day. If these figures are accounted for, the nationwide death toll nears 90.

Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman is addressing to a press conference at PID on July 06, 2022. PHOTO: APP

Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman is addressing a press conference at PID on July 06, 2022. PHOTO: APP

The monsoon, which usually lasts from June to September, is essential for irrigating crops and replenishing lakes and dams across the Subcontinent, but each year also brings a wave of destruction. Poorly built homes in rural areas are prone to collapse in floods.

Minister Rehman said that the monsoon and pre-monsoon events were going on along with continuous environmental incidents taking place across the country. “Pakistan has become the sixth most-affected country due to climate change.

This monsoon season, according to the minister, the country received 87% above normal rainfall. The highest above normal ratio was in Balochistan and Sindh at 274% and 261% respectively. It was 28% less than normal in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and 22% in Punjab.

The minister confirmed four deaths in Ghizer district of G-B because of flash floods in the area. G-B Chief Secretary Mohiuddin Ahmad Wani said that the four people died in severe flood in Derini village. He added that the bodies had been retrieved, while three people were rescued.

Wani said that relief operations, involving officials from the Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA), Rescue 1122 and the local district administration, were in full swing in the flood-battered areas.

“All possible steps are being taken to rehabilitate the flood-affected areas of Gilgit-Baltistan, including Derini village of Ghazar district, Ghasang, Mehdiabad and Turkti areas of Kharmang in Baltistan,” Wani added.

The first spell of monsoon started on June 29 and is expected to persist longer, Rehman told the presser in the federal capital. She underscored that it was the sixth day of heavy monsoon rains and the authorities concerned would have to remain vigilant.

She warned that the monsoon pattern was prevailing in the south, which would head towards Punjab. “The provinces will have to take their preparedness seriously. Like Karachi would have faced a storm but the situation subsided after scattered spell of monsoon,” the minister added.

“The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had prepared a monsoon contingency plan, she said. “The government is active but the public should also play their role to protect themselves and their livestock in inclement weather, especially those in low-lying areas.”

 

 

 

COMMENTS (1)

syedmerjhmed | 2 years ago | Reply 543j634n j64p356k4p5k435 p4 35345o43534kn6534sk563 4 p436345o6k43564s3564s353 4534o534so563453s4534potkp 43 6ok4356p 34543s563so4k65s435643s65k435436534o65k436543k5643 564o3k563s4p56435p4365k3p45435435345o34k53p4543543o543sk5k3456k43k6534p6534sp654k365p346534s65 34k534po5k6345p 3456ok436p534 65o4k356 3453456ko34s56o 563ks43o5p6435o43k53p563o45634p543k564po35k4 p354345 43543p5 43543543s 534p5 3ko5435345o4k35345p435k3453454353o45k3p4s5345435p4o3k53 p 53454o3k543 5p345436o5k34p5634 56k4j3534534p534 5534o534534o54k356op34k54 3p5365345p43o563k4563k456p34o76kp34 5 4354365543o5435435k36534o563k456p345kp43o5k3pv 534534543o5k34534p 5435345345345345o345k3535435 43o53k5op34k5634p53k53p4o6k4j3p 63p 4 5435345345436534osjk534 543534534564354354354353455o5n3j4535po34sj6534jp76j3p 4s6345634534543654356o34k54p3j543k5435 34 5345o3454 353oksp53s5o34k5345o34k653opk53p32 5k p53463463454354353454 365346534543534534534534534534534789po53456k34s6k53s4po5k34p43 56435334okj5345p3465 34534534543543 534534p5634563453769so6pkp45k634op5k34p63o4kjs5634p 5345643ojk5432 p5 3- 4234234 3242452345325234524526984pso5645k6p45k745p7j54p764 5675o4j674576jk54p 5v645764576456546456 4565465464567458billpk534534l534 pl5k435 345345634k56436543k5v 5345435345345345345435 4353453453453458syedmerjhmedsui64654647645n645 64564576456745645645674567457 4kpd764d57467k456456745674d5645d67pk45 5 6456546456k45d67 45645k654 6v456546547546745 6 45646p7k45 6745764564564k 45m6k456 45k674 5v 6456456456 456546 546 545345345435345345435345435437907745kp 67k4567pk4575 476k5476 45657546 4565464565k476p4565 43535345345 345345345349kesc534534n63k3 65k3p4n 4555555435643k6543564 3p5k435 534543543543534543534536546856p 757k567 pdk 46kps46 456k4576 4565p4k 6l5 6 564545645654645645645645645645806446546456 4745k76456l54 hblpk 654654654645656 457kp4576456546464565 464 56745p76k45p76k547 6p54k64 5pk645 67pk546 5476456456456p4k567 546777756 45k7654p7k6547654 64k56 546 456456456 456 45645656p6k45 p7k645 p76457 k6 43654 7645645k67p5467k4745645k7p6455467456546456456k45p6456 74pk764 p574k5v pkl 456476546754654p6k46 5467k45 6 456546546456 45645645645k6745p67k4576 p45k64 5p7k45 6754kp67546 4456546 45645645655 464565465464564564575445456547846 pk46457pk4576 54765467546456kp45 45 745645654654 64565464574564564564564545767 465p465p3s4k65435435345345345 43543543 5345bpkl34 5p3s4kl6 p34sk53 4pk54 3534k534 54354354k3 s543k56 34 543 543 5345345435435435345437898syedmerjhmed54435346543 56p43l 63465346543p65kl346 khji 5435634654 365 436534564365435634sp56k34s6 534pk65 3465k43534534564354354354 35345 345p3k56 n433s5 3kp5 435pk347pk3 6534435435435435 3s53s5345345345435643534534534796456 547p45l674 56 457plk4d57 4d5pk76l54 76p45k764 5 6v65654k6745p6k45 534534534543 53 4 5435634 54353454353455649keesc3456345643sponk535k4 p4354354k3o5j43 p5 4356435643563453654353453 45345p435o345634sk653s5k643po65k3 p76457645654p6764 567k6o54 6do7k64d5 764p5647ok64d5674kd5o674d5m7645645k6p45okb4p 654ok46745 76 546o5k546456754k645p 53534534653465436543543543984o64pk576k54p7o654jk7 45 674ok5675476k6o4d565 5 o6754k6 456p45o76ko45p76k4567 p46ok4d6745674k5d76o4p5k674p5o65k46 p45456546456456546465465464d67456745654645645675679verybill6546547 6p4d7n4p l 5645p67kl54 67 457645654765464576457645754 645 64dp76k4dp5 67k4567p 4k576p 54k 65546745pk6457k645 765467k456 54 456v54654654654745 456456456p54d6 5467l547p 64lk57p6k45d 7 457pk45d 6 745765464567456546 546546d464575kp64574576547645675 4p674l57 645pl6k74 57 6457kl64 5 67457k6457645 6546754k 645kp7643645654645l674p5 764ld5 67p4k57l645 7p6k4l5 765476546456745k764pd76k4d576457645764576457645764564576457645l6 n4p5dkl 767lk4 5 67456745p6k457 65476k54 67546456754675467546456 4pk6v645p6745kd 76p54k64 pk674 576pk457 645764p5k7457kp54 84 d5784d547654654 6546465465467546984p5k k654 p7k45 p76k5476457654pk74574564564564564564576456k4567p4567547645 bill 645p6k45 p76k5476 54pk7645 6 45565464564p56k4567p546456456456457654457645765464568946 p4n4l56 45pl645 6p54k76 54745pk7l54 7645647klllllllll 65456457645 64564565 4654645 645 94 57k64p576k5476 54pk76 45pk8 745d6 4565464564567 45654 654674564565464564567457696745 p6k54645k75 4p7k645 7645pk674 5645645pk765476546546456456456754645674565489690syedmerjhmed464645op6d45k75pdk74 p45k7o64 p565467546ko45645654 6546546546 546456456459syedmerjhmed4345346543654365p34 5346534653456435643 5345p34p5435435 435345435435679dirteryiong54354356p34n5tk3s5kop43p 5 454353ok4j 53454 35435oj4k3543 5345o4354354345769file543563465p34knok 5p643 54kj4 p3564365j45o3456 p34534jv5p 53435435435 43543543564569
Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ