The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said more than 900 people had died since June – including 34 in the past 24 hours.
Heavy rains continued to wreak havoc in several parts of the country, already battered by calamitous floods that left millions dead and caused epic destruction in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Sindh provinces.
Heavy rains continued for the second consecutive day, which triggered devastating floods in rivers and streams. It also swept away several homes and hotels. Scores of people died in K-P while Balochistan remained cut off from the rest of the country due to fresh rains.
The K-P government declared a rain emergency in several districts as torrential rains triggered floods and wreaked havoc in most parts of the province, at least 238 people lost their lives, officials said.
Officials also informed that the rain emergency will remain in place till August 30 as the Pakistan Meteorological Department predict another monsoon spell which might continue in the next week.
Fresh torrential rains hit many parts of the province on the second day. According to officials, heavy downpours in Kaghan Valley caused a flash flood in the Munnawar Nullah that effaced 10 people.
The rescuers found seven bodies so far. Numerous stores, hotels, more than 200 fish hatcheries, 150 homes, and two mosques in the tourist destinations of Kalam, Bahrain Bazaar, Hareen, and Madyan were destroyed by floods.
The roads are flooded, and plastic waste has poured out of sewage pipes. Large pools of dirty water have swallowed homes, roads, and people.
The situation has left residents worried that the standing water will bring waterborne diseases with it. There’s been little respite for communities, as the rain continued for almost a week, hoping to return home to see what could be recovered.
The floods have taken more than 300 lives in Sindh province alone.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday that 33 million people had become victims of floods, which is around 15% of the population.
PM Sharif has appealed for international aid and held a meeting with foreign ambassadors in Islamabad.
At least 184,000 people have been displaced to relief camps, according to the UN’s disaster relief agency, OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs). It also said that southern Pakistan has been hardest hit by the rains – particularly Sindh, which has received nearly eight times its average August rainfall.