ISLAMABAD/DERA GHAZI KHAN:
As the country continues to reel under the ongoing monsoon spell, the toll from rain-related incidents rose further on Sunday, with six more people losing their lives in the last 24 hours, as a fresh monsoon spell is set to lash the country from July 28 (today).
According to the National Disaster Management Authority’s (NDMA) latest situation report, 22 people were injured in various rain- and flood-related incidents across the country in the past day.
The cumulative monsoon toll since June 26 now stands at 271 fatalities and 655 injuries.
The report noted that two deaths occurred in Punjab and four in Balochistan over the last 24 hours due to roof collapses, drowning and flash floods triggered by heavy rains.
Meanwhile, in Dera Ghazi Khan, the River Indus surged past 430,000 cusecs at the Taunsa Barrage, causing flooding in eight riverside villages near Ghazi Ghat and inundating more than 20 settlements in Taunsa Sharif.
The rising waters have left residents grappling with access and safety issues.
To manage the crisis, the district administration has set up over 25 flood relief camps in government school buildings across Taunsa and Kot Chutta tehsils.
Meanwhile, the death toll from ongoing floods in Gilgit-Baltistan rose to 10 on Sunday, as search and rescue teams combed affected areas and moved stranded tourists to safer locations, officials confirmed.
According to Gilgit-Baltistan government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq, the number of fatalities in Babusar alone has reached seven. Two more deaths were reported from Thore Valley in Diamer district, and another from Astore.
The body of an unidentified woman was also recovered from the Indus River in Chilas’s Minar area. “The body could be that of one of the tourists swept away at the Babusar Highway,” Faraq added.
Fresh monsoon spell
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast a fresh spell of widespread rain, wind, and thunderstorms beginning July 28, as monsoon currents continue to impact upper and central regions of the country. According to the PMD, these currents are expected to intensify in the coming days. In addition, a new westerly wave is anticipated to enter Pakistan on July 29.
From July 27 to 31, with intermittent gaps, rain-wind/thundershowers accompanied by isolated heavy falls are likely in various districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Similar conditions are forecast across G-B.
In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, rain and thunderstorms are expected in a wide array of districts from July 28 to 31.
The PMD has advised relevant authorities and the public to remain alert, particularly in vulnerable areas prone to flooding and landslides.
