Pakistan's Monsoon Rains and Floods Claim 154 Lives

The death toll from monsoon rains and floods in Pakistan has climbed to 154. Over 1,500 homes have been damaged since the rains began on July 1. The hardest-hit areas include Baluchistan, Lahore, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Experts blame climate change for the increasing severity of these events.

The death toll from nearly six weeks of monsoon rains and floods across Pakistan has risen to 154, officials reported on Thursday, as downpours continued to inundate villages across the country.

Since July 1, when the monsoon season commenced, more than 1,500 homes have been damaged, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

Orchards in remote areas of southwestern Baluchistan province faced destruction, while heavy rains submerged many streets in Lahore, and landslides struck Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Many fatalities occurred in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, the disaster agency and local authorities confirmed.

The annual monsoon season runs from July through September, and scientists together with meteorologists have pointed fingers at climate change for the surge in heavy rains experienced in recent years.

This year's rains fall short of those in 2022, a year in which climate-induced downpours swelled rivers, deluged one-third of the nation, and caused USD 30 billion in damages along with 1,739 fatalities.

(With inputs from agencies.)