At least 65 people have died in storm-related incidents including lightning across Pakistan, officials said, with rain so far in April falling at nearly twice the historical average rate.
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, told AFP 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.
Chief Minister K-P Ali Amin Gandapur announced a fundy of Rs50 million for the administration of 12 districts. The fund will be utilised to provide financial assistance to the families of the deceased. District Nowshera will be allotted Rs20 million, Lower Dir Rs5 million, Rs3 million each for Swat, Malakand, Upper Dir and Tank. The districts of Battagram, Peshawar and Charsadda will receive Rs2 million while Lower Chitral will receive Rs10 million.
According to the PDMA, since March 29, the K-P administration released Rs81 million to various districts to deal with the emergency situation.
The funds can be used for financial support and relief activities of the victims as per the relief policy. The K-P government is prioritizing the relief and rehabilitation of the rain affectees. CM Gandapur urged authorities to ensure timely distribution of aid and relief to the victims along with speedy restoration of damaged infrastructures.
“In April, we have observed highly unusual rainfall patterns,” Zaheer Ahmad Babar, spokesperson for the Pakistan Meteorological Department, told AFP.
“From April 1st to April 17th, we experienced precipitation levels exceeding the historical average by 99 percent,” he added, citing data from the past 30 years as a comparison.
Most of the country experienced a pause in rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, but more downpours are predicted in the coming days.
“Climate change is a major factor behind these unusual weather patterns and above normal rainfalls, but it’s not just Pakistan which is affected, the whole region is experiencing changes in temperature patterns,” Babar added.