Heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan have killed at least 57 people in the past two days, many of them children, officials said on Friday.
The relentless rain began lashing Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, on Wednesday, causing floods in several cities and across vast rural stretches.
Most of the deaths were caused by collapsing buildings, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. Twenty four were children, the agency said.
This is the latest extreme weather to hit Pakistan, which has seen intense heat waves and floods in recent years. Scientists and officials have linked these events to climate change.
This monsoon season in Pakistan began in late June, and the heavy rains have killed at least 180 people and injured hundreds more, the national disaster authority said. More than 80 of the dead were children.
Chakwal, around 60 miles south of Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, was among the hardest-hit areas. The floods inundated several villages in the district and damaged infrastructure, including power lines.
“The floodwaters engulfed our homes and crops before my eyes,” said Malak Jamil, 56, a small farm owner in Chakwal. In a phone interview, he estimated his losses at more than $6,000, several times his yearly income. “I have no idea how I will recover from this,” Mr. Jamil said.
The floods cut off road access to many areas. The Pakistani military deployed helicopters to evacuate more than a hundred stranded people, according to the state broadcaster Pakistan Television. The authorities have urged people in low-lying areas to heed evacuation orders when they are issued and leave for higher ground immediately.
In Rawalpindi, a city next to Islamabad, the rain overwhelmed drainage channels and stalled traffic, turning the cityscape into murky pools strewed with debris. Floodwater poured into homes and stores.
Power was out for as long as 19 hours in many neighborhoods, municipal engineers said, leaving people without running water as well. An emergency public holiday was declared on Thursday, shutting government offices. The main flood channel swelled 22 feet above normal levels, setting off evacuation sirens.
“As the rain poured, one side of our house just gave way,” said Asim Ali, 35, a gardener who lives in the village of Jabbar Darvesh on the outskirts of Islamabad.
He said the house, where he lived with his mother, wife, children and brothers, was no longer habitable. “We’ve never seen anything like this before,” he said.
A break was expected from the heavy rainfall on Friday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said.
Some of the deaths were caused by electrocution, officials said. Punjab’s provincial government has warned people to stay away from downed power lines and household appliances affected by floodwater.
“As monsoon rains continue and waters rise, children face life-threatening risks from drowning and collapsing homes to spikes in waterborne diseases and electrocution,” the United Nations Children’s Fund said in a statement.
