NDMA issues fresh alert as Pakistan's monsoon death toll rises to 670

Islamabad (Web Desk): The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued an emergency alert as relentless monsoon rains continue to wreak havoc across Pakistan.

According to the NDMA, since the beginning of the monsoon season on June 26, a total of 657 people have lost their lives due to rain-related and flash flood incidents, while 929 individuals have sustained injuries.

The province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has emerged as the worst-hit region, recording 390 fatalities, with thousands more reported injured or missing. Punjab has reported 164 deaths, followed by Sindh with 28, Balochistan with 20, Gilgit-Baltistan with 32, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir with 15.

The federal capital, Islamabad, has also witnessed 8 rain-related deaths.

The NDMA warned that the current weather system hovering over the country is expected to bring further heavy downpours, intensifying the risk of floods, landslides, and mudslides in several areas.

Forecasts indicate that strong rains are likely to affect parts of Punjab, including Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Gujranwala, as well as districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa such as Peshawar and Mardan. Additional threats loom over areas in Balochistan, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

In light of the deteriorating situation, the NDMA has urged the public to take precautionary measures and strictly adhere to government advisories.

Ensuring the safety of lives and property, the authority emphasized, depends on timely preparedness and community-wide cooperation.