Monsoon rains claim 15 lives across Pakistan: NDMA

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Thursday released data detailing casualties and injuries caused by monsoon rain-related incidents across the country, according to which at least 15 people have died in the last 24 hours.

The NDMA said the deceased included seven children, three women and five men.

The development comes as pre-monsoon rains have begun in different parts of country, with a weather system expected to bring widespread windstorms and thundershowers until July 6, driven by a westerly wave and moisture currents.

Authorities have warned of potential urban flooding in key cities and lightning strikes in open areas during thunderstorms.

In Punjab, three people, including a woman and two children, lost their lives when a house collapsed in Attock, while another individual was killed by a lightning strike in Khushab. In separate incidents across different parts of Punjab, seven people sustained injuries.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported multiple fatalities across various districts. In Nowshera, a man was killed when a solar panel fell on him during heavy winds, and another man died due to a lightning strike in Buner. Thunderstrikes also claimed the lives of two children in the Bazaar Zaka Khel area of Tehsil, Khyber district.

Incidents of drowning were reported in Haripur, Upper Dir, and Mansehra, claiming the lives of two children and a man, respectively. Meanwhile, a woman was killed by heavy rains and flash floods in Shangla. Additionally, 23 people were reported injured across various parts of the province.

In Balochistan, a woman and a child were killed following a house collapse in Zhob, while three other individuals suffered injuries in different parts of the province.