storm
Dead in first monsoon rains in Pakistan
Motorcyclists on a flooded street in Lahore, Pakistan. photo
© KM Chaudary/AP/dpa
After the heat wave with temperatures up to 50 degrees, the monsoon rains are now coming to Pakistan. The first fatalities have already been reported.
At least 11 people have died as a result of thunderstorms and heavy rain in Pakistan’s Punjab province. 14 others were injured, as reported by the national disaster agency on site on Monday. According to a spokesman, among the dead were several field workers who were struck by lightning.
Pakistan is now experiencing its first monsoon rains after last week’s heatwave that saw temperatures reach as high as 50 degrees in some parts of the country. In this context, Climate Protection Minister Sherry Rehman had already warned of floods and associated landslides in several provinces on social media on Saturday.
This year, however, meteorologists expect a monsoon with below-average precipitation in the South Asian country. Last year, Pakistan experienced record floods that at times submerged a third of the country and, according to official figures, claimed the lives of more than 1,700 people.
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