Monsoon Rains Kill Dozens In Pakistan

Dozens of people have been killed across Pakistan in accidents and floods caused by heavy monsoon rains that hit parts of the country for a fifth straight day, officials said on August 28.

Precipitation reached record levels in the commercial capital Karachi, where emergency crews used boats to evacuate people trapped in flooded streets of the city of 15 million people.

The country’s meteorological service said about 76 centimeters of rain had fallen on Karachi since August 23. Surrounding towns and villages in the south of the country were also impacted.

Forty-seven people have so far been killed in Karachi in rain-related incidents. At least 16 others died in overnight flash floods in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, authorities said.

In the eastern province of Punjab, four workers were killed when a warehouse roof collapsed on August 28, local officials said.

The monsoon season in Pakistan lasts from June to September. This year, the monsoon rains are lashing Pakistan at a time when authorities are trying to contain the spread of the coronavirus, which has caused more than 6,283 deaths since the country reported its first case in February.

Based on reporting by AFP, AP