39 Dead as Storms Sweep Through Pakistan, a Nation Under Water

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Pakistan faces tragedy as 39 die due to severe floods and lightning, highlighting ongoing climate challenges.

Recent severe rainfall has claimed the lives of at least 39 individuals in Pakistan’s southwest, with several days of intense downpours causing widespread destruction.

Among the victims were farmers who were fatally struck by lightning as they gathered wheat, as reported by local officials.

Online photographs depict large areas of agricultural land submerged under floodwaters. The region has seen significant disruptions to its electrical grid and transport systems due to sudden flooding.

The frequency of severe weather episodes in Pakistan has risen as the nation confronts the challenges posed by climate change.

In 2022, catastrophic floods inundated significant portions of Pakistan, resulting in over 1,700 deaths and injuring countless others. The disaster left millions without homes and deprived them of potable water for extended periods.

Regions previously devastated by the 2022 deluges, such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, are once more suffering under the current adverse weather conditions.

With additional rainfall forecasted, the National Disaster Management Authority of Pakistan has issued alerts for potential landslides and more flash flooding.

The province of Punjab, the most densely populated in Pakistan, has recorded the most fatalities during this period, with 21 individuals losing their lives to lightning from Friday to Sunday, as per AFP.

In Balochistan, the country’s westernmost province, eight fatalities have been reported, prompting local authorities to declare an emergency. Educational institutions in the area were closed on both Monday and Tuesday.

Pasni, a coastal town in Balochistan, now resembles an expansive lake, inundated by floodwaters that have reached residential and commercial zones, as stated by Noor Ahmed Kalmati, the head of the town’s municipal committee, in an interview with Dawn, a Pakistani newspaper.

Neighboring Afghanistan has also reported severe flooding, with at least 33 deaths and hundreds of residences either damaged or completely destroyed, according to Afghan officials on Sunday.

Researchers attribute the 2022 flood disaster in Pakistan partly to global warming, highlighting the country’s position as the fifth most susceptible nation to climate change impacts, based on the UN’s Global Climate Risk Index.

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