Monsoon fury batters Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa worst hit

Islamabad, Sep 1 (IANS) As torrential monsoon rain lashes Pakistan, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province has been hit the hardest, bearing the brunt of the disastrous heavy downpours largely due to the lack of an early flood warning system, local media reported on Monday.

Torrential monsoon rains claimed the lives of over 802 people and injured more than 1,088 across the country since June 26, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

Reports suggest that heavy rains, flash floods, and cloudbursts killed as many as 485 people, including 84 children, across multiple regions in K-P, including Buner, Swat, Shangla, Bajaur, Swabi, Battagram, and Mansehra.

Additionally, five members of 30-year-old Mujeebur Rehman’s family lost their lives in the raging flood that hit K-P.

“If an emergency warning system were active in my area, me and many other people would not be grieving the loss of our loved ones,” said Rehman, while speaking of the tragedy in Buner district, which reported the maximum number of fatalities.

Earlier on August 15, a devastating cloudburst struck Pir Baba tehsil in K-P’s Buner district, which inundated more than half of the 70 to 80 houses in the village, killing a total of 241 people.

Among the victims, Ustad Nabi Khan witnessed the horror of seventeen members of his family being swept away by the deluge caused by the cloudburst within a few minutes.

“Our entire lives were uprooted within just five minutes. The volume of rainwater was so massive that it appeared as if the reservoir of an entire dam had been discharged into our area. After this tragedy, neither sleep comes nor life passes. Now, upon hearing the name of rain, panic and fear spread in the whole village. Since August 15th, 30 to 40 people are still missing in our village, Bishnoi,” said Khan.

Experts highlighted that the widespread damage exposed the provincial government’s insufficient measures and neglect in handling such devastating floods.

“Unfortunately, K-P still has no early emergency warning system, which could reduce the number of casualties. As the province comes under the grip of this extreme weather and flood situation, our preparation for the disaster remains meagre and is a reflection of the government’s negligence,” said Alam Zeb Khan, a weather forecast specialist.

Pakistan Meteorological Department K-P Director Muhammad Faheem admitted the absence of an early flood warning system in the province.

In the plain regions of Punjab province, 164 people lost their lives, while 582 others sustained injuries, as rainfall between 100 and 200 mm within an hour triggered severe flooding.

–IANS

int/scor/rs