24 people have died in Pakistan after heavy monsoon rains. The city of Lahore in the east is particularly affected. Whole streets are under water there.
Monsoon rains have flooded numerous streets in the Pakistani city of Lahore. Local authorities said 272 liters of rain per square meter fell on the city within nine hours. The city’s canal burst its banks. Lahore last experienced such masses of water in such a short time 30 years ago.
The first rains were reported last week. Since then, there have been a total of 24 deaths in connection with storms, according to Pakistani media reports.
A rescue team helps a man push his rickshaw across a street.
In addition to Lahore, Islamabad and Punjab were also affected
Residents of Lahore fell victim to power lines falling over, houses collapsing or drowning in the floodwaters. The aid organization International Rescue Committee (IRC) warned of the consequences of the floods. Millions of people are at risk. Their houses would be washed away.
According to the IRC, children are particularly at risk. “They are particularly at risk of malnutrition due to food shortages that could be combined with another flood disaster,” said IRC Country Director Shabnam Baloch.
The capital of Pakistan, Islamabad, also reported heavy rainfall. Six people have died in Punjab province, Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqv said.
Monsoon season lasts until September
The monsoon season in Pakistan begins in July and lasts until September. The current rainy season is expected to last until Sunday. However, the country is still struggling with the consequences of the floods of summer 2022. 1739 people lost their lives. According to a World Bank report, around 33 million people in the South Asian country were affected by the floods.
In view of the monsoon season, Pakistan is preparing for new floods. This year, however, the Pakistani weather service expects less rain than last year.