By Raheela Nazir
ISLAMABAD, Jun 22 (NNN-XINHUA) – A recent spell of heavy pre-monsoon rains, wreaked havoc in parts of Pakistan, leaving at least 26 people dead and several others injured, as well as, damaging infrastructure and standing crops, government officials said yesterday.
The country’s eastern Punjab province was the worst-hit region with 16 deaths, followed by south-west Balochistan and north-west Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, which reported five deaths each over the last five days, a senior official from the National Disaster Management Authority told Xinhua.
The official said, women and children were among the victims, adding that, heavy monsoon rain-triggered flash floods also damaged dozens of houses, buildings, schools, roads and bridges.
Meanwhile, local administrations are busy carrying out rescue and relief services in affected areas, and struggling to cope with the current emergency.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, the current spell of pre-monsoon rains is expected to continue till today, saying, heavy falls and windstorms may trigger land slides, flash flood and damage to loose structures in vulnerable areas of the country.
The weather department also warned passengers and tourists, urging them to remain alert and avoid unnecessary travelling during the forecasted period.
Pakistan’s Minister for Climate Change, Sherry Rehman, said, the country will experience monsoon rains until at least Aug, with intervals, during which the rainfall is expected to be above normal in various parts of Pakistan.
“Pakistan may have to face a flood-like situation similar to the one in 2010,” the minister said.
Urging citizens and relevant authorities to exercise vigilance and preparedness for the upcoming monsoon, and brace for low to high-intensity floods, she said, all-out precautionary measures must be taken, to cope with the possible disastrous impacts of the expected monsoon rains.
Though the sharp drop of temperature, owing to wet showers, brought much-awaited relief for the people facing scorching weather, citizens are also complaining about the miseries and weighty disruption, the rains have caused.
Azra Begum, a factory worker in the eastern Rawalpindi district, told Xinhua that, she and her family could not make it to their workplace on time, as continuous rains affected the transportation system in the community.
“Our streets and homes are flooded with sewage water. We are also facing load shedding… halting our daily life, while forcing us to stay indoors,” she said.– NNN-XINHUA
