Pakistan nearly reaches grim milestone of 1,000 deaths in rain-related mishaps

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) – With the latest 45 fatalities in the past 24 hours, Pakistan has nearly reached the grim milestone of 1,000 casualties in rain-related accidents, which have been triggered by torrential rains and swirling floods across the country since mid-June.

Another 45 people were killed and dozens went missing in the past 24 hours as monsoon downpours and roaring floodwaters continued to pound the country, officials and local media reported.

With half of the South Asian nuclear country under water, the government announced a full-fledged deployment of the army in all four provinces, and the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region to back the civil administration, which is struggling to cope with the unprecedented magnitude of the catastrophe, state-run Pakistan Television reported.

The latest flooding caused by incessant rains displaced thousands more in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, southwestern Balochistan and southern Sindh provinces, adding to the already increasing number of victims.

Most of the fatalities were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, followed by Sindh and Balochistan, pushing the overall toll to 982 since June 14, according to the country's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

However, at a press conference in Islamabad, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb stated that the number was over 1,000.

The ongoing monsoon spells, combined with massive flash floods, have left 30 million Pakistanis without shelter, with tens of thousands displaced. Millions of people in flood-raked areas are without electricity and gas.

Raging waters from the Kabul River inundated Noshehra, Charsaddah and Madan districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the government has converted schools and government buildings into shelter camps for thousands of displaced people, local broadcaster Geo News reported.

Massive floods swept away hundreds of houses, restaurants, bridges, and even several multi-story hotels perched on the banks of the Swat River in the scenic Swat Valley, one of the favorite tourist attractions. At least 16 people lost their lives in rain-related accidents in the valley over the past 24 hours, the NDMA said.

The Indus and Gilgit rivers are in high floods, which may inundate more lands.

Because of the high flood in the Indus River, the administration has ordered the evacuation of several low-lying areas in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur districts of northeastern Punjab province.

Six more dams have burst their banks in different parts of Balochistan, submerging dozens of villages and farmlands.

The southwestern Chaman border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan remained closed due to heavy rains and flooding.

The week-long rains that already destroyed much of the infrastructure and agriculture in the otherwise arid province have come to an end in the eastern districts, bringing relief to tens of thousands of marooned people.​​​​​​​