Nearly half of the 266 people who have died in Pakistan due to heavier-than-usual monsoon rains were children enjoying their school holidays, officials reported on Friday.
The majority of fatalities occurred in Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, where monsoon rainfall has surged to 70% above last year’s levels, according to Mazhar Hussain from the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Agency (PDMA).
“Children are especially vulnerable in this situation. They’re out playing in the rainwater, bathing in it, and that exposes them to risks like electric shocks,” Hussain told AFP. “Since schools and colleges are closed for the holidays, their exposure is even greater, which is why their fatality rate is higher than other groups.”
According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 266 people have lost their lives since the start of the monsoon season on June 26, and 126 of them were children. Hundreds more have been injured across the country.
Deaths have been attributed to flash floods, collapsing buildings, lightning strikes, and drowning incidents. An NDMA spokesperson noted that such high death tolls are typically seen in August, but the severity of this year’s early rains has changed the pattern.
“The heaviest rains usually fall later in the season, but this year’s impact has been unusually intense,” the spokesperson told AFP.
The NDMA has warned that rainfall is expected to intensify further in August.
In one tragic incident this week, torrential rains triggered a landslide in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, sweeping away multiple vehicles. The mountainous area, popular with tourists for its scenic valleys and rivers, has been hit hard by the recent weather.
Earlier, in late June, at least 13 tourists died when they were caught in flash floods while seeking shelter on an elevated riverbank.
Monsoon season in Pakistan typically runs from late June to September and accounts for 70% to 80% of South Asia’s annual rainfall. While crucial for agriculture and food security, the rains also bring widespread destruction.
In 2022, catastrophic monsoon floods submerged nearly one-third of the country, killing over 1,700 people and displacing millions.
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