Seasonal torrential rains death toll rises to 134 in Pakistan: NDMA

Seasonal torrential rains have claimed 134 lives and injured 81 others in Pakistan in the last over two months since the monsoon began in the country, the national disaster management agency said on Sunday.

Every year, Pakistan struggle to cope with the annual monsoon deluge and other rain-related incidents. The monsoon season runs from June-July through September.

Monsoon rains are lashing Pakistan at a time when authorities are trying to contain the spread of the coronovirus, which caused 6,288 deaths since February when the country reported its first case.

Nine more people -- five in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province and four in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) -- died overnight, pushing the nationwide monsoon-related death toll to 134, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said.

"Of those killed, 61 are males, 14 females and 59 children,” it said, adding that 81 people, including 10 in the last 24 hours, were also injured in various rain-related incidents across the country.

A total of 48 people died in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, followed by 34 in Sindh, 17 in Balochistan, 14 in Punjab, 11 in Gilgit-Baltistan region and 10 in PoK.

Among those injured, 42 were reported from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 13 from Balochistan, nine from Sindh, eight from Punjab, five from PoK and four from Gilgit-Baltistan.

Floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains damaged 1,001 houses fully and 435 others partially, the NDMA said.

The authorities have so far provided about 830 tons of food to people affected by rain and related mishaps. They were also given 14,985 tents, 2,956 blankets and 2,200 mosquito nets in addition to other supplies.

Monsoon rains hit the sub-continent every year in summer, bringing heavy downpour that trigger floods and landslides and displace hundreds and thousands of people. PTI SH SCY SCY