54 people were killed in the last 24 hours due to floods and heavy rains in Pakistan.

 

Fifty-four people have died in the past 24 hours due to heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan, bringing the total to 180 since the season began at the end of June, the government's Disaster Management Authority said Thursday.

"In the past 24 hours, 54 people have been killed and 227 injured in Pakistan, with the majority of the deaths occurring in Punjab," a spokeswoman for the authority told AFP, adding that the toll was recorded as of 8:00 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Thursday.

Heavy rains have fallen almost non-stop across Punjab since Wednesday morning, causing flooding and the collapse of homes.

The spokeswoman also said that approximately 180 people, including 70 children, have been killed and nearly 500 injured since the start of the monsoon season on June 26.

Most of the victims died as a result of roof or wall collapses in their homes, were swept away by floods, or were electrocuted.

Residents living near a river that runs through the city of Rawalpindi, near the capital Islamabad, were asked to evacuate after water levels rose significantly, a spokeswoman for the department told AFP.

The Rawalpindi government declared a holiday on Thursday for residents to stay indoors, while the Meteorological Department warned of continued heavy rains until Friday.

"Residents in vulnerable areas should prepare emergency kits containing food, water, and medicines for three to five days," authorities said.

The national meteorological department warned that the likelihood of heavy rains and flooding remains high over the next 48 hours.

Pakistan is one of the countries most affected by climate change, and its 255 million people face increasingly frequent extreme weather events.

The monsoon, which begins in June, is essential for replenishing water supplies in South Asia, accounting for 70 to 80 percent of annual rainfall, but it also causes tragedy and destruction every year. In the summer of 2022, unprecedented floods submerged a third of the country, affecting more than 33 million people, killing more than 1,700, and damaging crops.