Pakistan officials say climate change ‘major factor’ in historical downpours that have killed 65
- Lightning and heavy rains led to the heaviest downpour in decades, flooding villages in Pakistan’s southwestern coast
- In 2022, a third of Pakistan was submerged by unprecedented monsoon rains that displaced millions, and cost US$30 billion in damage and economic losses
Heavy downpours between Friday and Monday unleashed flash floods and caused houses to collapse, while lightning killed at least 28 people.
The largest death toll was in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where 32 people have died, including 15 children, and more than 1,300 homes have been damaged.
“All the casualties resulted from the collapse of walls and roofs,” Anwar Khan, spokesman for the province’s disaster management authority, said on Wednesday.
Villagers whose homes were inundated with water were forced to seek refuge on higher ground, including on the shoulders of motorways, creating makeshift tents with plastic sheeting and bamboo sticks.
“In April, we have observed highly unusual rainfall patterns,” said Zaheer Ahmad Babar, spokesperson for the Pakistan Meteorological Department.
“From April 1st to April 17th, we experienced precipitation levels exceeding the historical average by 99 per cent,” he added, citing data from the past 30 years as a comparison.
