Pakistan Monsoon Flooding Death Toll Tops 1,000

Pakistan disaster relief authorities report that over 1,000 people have died from widespread flooding from relentless monsoon rains since mid-June. The country has been experiencing the worst monsoon season in more than 5 decades.

Villages and crops have been washed away by flash flooding as soldiers and rescue workers evacuated stranded residents to relief camps and provided food to thousands of displaced Pakistanis.

After new fatalities from monsoon flooding were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southern Sindh provinces this month, the National Disaster Management Authority said the death toll had reached 1,033 people.

Sherry Rehman, a senator and the country’s top climate official, said in a video posted on YouTube that Pakistan is experiencing one of the heaviest monsoon seasons in decades.

Tens of thousands of people, particularly in Charsadda and Nowshehra districts, have been evacuated from their homes due to flooding from the Swat River.

The provincial government’s spokesperson, Kamran Bangash, reported that many have taken refuge on roadsides.

A monsoon season unlike any other has affected all four provinces in Pakistan. Millions of people have been affected by widespread power outages, while flooding has resulted in damage to nearly 300,000 homes.

Rehman told the Associated Press that by the time the monsoon rains subside, one fourth or one third of Pakistan will be under water.

Meanwhile the government of Pakistan has deployed soldiers to help civilian authorities and volunteers in rescue and relief operations in the flooded areas.

The army said in a statement that it airlifted 22 tourists trapped in a valley in the country’s north to safety.

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