Pakistan: Storms trigger floods, landslides in POK, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; 10 dead

At least 10 people were killed and several injured as rain and powerful winds triggered flash floods, wreaking havoc in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

At least four women and a man died in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, while three people in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lost their lives after storms hit the region, news agency AFP quoted the State Disaster Management Authority as saying.

Two people also died in Pakistan's Punjab province in rain-related incidents.

While the majority of the deaths were caused by collapsing walls and roofs, major damage was caused by destructive windstorms that raged across central and northern Pakistan.

According to The Dawn, severe rain and thunderstorms killed seven people in PoK, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while over two dozen others sustained injuries.

A senior government official in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Haroon Rasheed, added that one person is still missing. Up to 12 houses and a mosque were destroyed in one village.

Quoting Rescue 1122, The Dawn mentioned that a passenger van overturned due to rain and dust storm on Ghazi-Lawrencepur Road in Attock, resulting in the death of one passenger.

Four children were injured when the wall of their house collapsed in Rehmo village of Attock district following a windstorm.

Earlier on Saturday, storms killed at least 19 people and injured over 100 more across Pakistan, as the country is grappling with increasingly frequent extreme weather events.

According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the extreme conditions may persist through 31 May, with the upper and central Punjab districts inc­luding Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, and Faisalabad, facing the highest risk.

Weather predictions 

According to the National Disaster Management Authority, as quoted by AFP, the stormy weather is expected to continue in northern and central parts of Pakistan until Saturday.

Rising temperatures in April and May are becoming more common in Pakistan. In April, the temperatures reached near-record levels—as high as 46.5 Celsius (116 Fahrenheit) in parts of Punjab.

Citing the soaring temperatures, the schools in Punjab and southwestern Balochistan provinces have closed early for summer vacations.

With agency inputs.