ISLAMABAD – Relentless monsoon rains have unleashed widespread devastation across Pakistan, claiming the lives of more than 200 people—nearly half of them children—since late June, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Punjab has suffered the highest toll, with 123 deaths, followed by 40 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 21 in Sindh, and 16 in Balochistan. Islamabad and Azad Jammu and Kashmir each reported one fatality. Over 560 people have been injured, including 182 children.
Most casualties occurred when weakened homes collapsed under the pounding rain, while others were swept away by flash floods, drowned, struck by lightning, electrocuted, or buried in landslides.
Families torn apart
In Rawalpindi, flash floods inundated entire neighbourhoods like Dhamial, Hathi Chowk, and Morgah, turning streets into rivers. In Tench Bhata and Fauji Colony, the water rose so high it reached rooftops, forcing terrified residents to flee with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
Among the victims was eight-year-old Hasan Ali. His distraught father shared the family’s unbearable grief, saying they never imagined the monsoon would take their child so suddenly.
In Faisalabad, 11 people lost their lives and 60 were injured within just two days, most of them trapped in crumbling homes that could not withstand the heavy rains. Many families said they simply lacked the means to repair or reinforce their fragile houses ahead of the monsoon.
Infrastructure in ruins
The rain has also battered critical infrastructure. In Punjab’s Chakwal district, more than 32 roads were washed away after over 450mm of rainfall. In Khewal village, a father and son were killed when their house collapsed. Communication lines are down in many areas, and electricity remains cut off in several flood-hit regions.
Rescue teams are racing against time. On the chief minister’s orders, heavy machinery has been deployed to clear blocked roads in Jhelum, Pind Dadan Khan, Kallar Kahar, and surrounding areas. In Rawalpindi’s Karoli Dhoke Bridge area, a rain-breached road has been temporarily repaired to restore traffic flow.
With more rain predicted in the coming days, authorities fear the death toll could rise further. Relief efforts continue, but for many families, the monsoon has already left scars that will last a lifetime.
