https://arab.news/b6cax
- The development came as a glacial flood eroded protective walls of key highway connecting Pakistan with China
- The unusually heavy rains, which began on June 26, have raised fears of a repeat of the catastrophic 2022 floods
ISLAMABAD: Weather authorities have forecast another spell of monsoon rains in Pakistan from Aug. 8 till Aug. 13, with weeks of heavy showers and floods claiming at least 303 lives in the country.
The unusually heavy rains, which began on June 26, have injured more than 700 people and raised fears of a repeat of the catastrophic 2022 floods that submerged a third of Pakistan and killed more than 1,700 people.
“Under the influence of low-pressure systems developing in the surrounding regions, along with a western disturbance, isolated rainfall is expected across most parts of the country from August 8th to 13th,” Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Thursday.
The development came as a glacial lake outburst flood from Shisper Glacier swelled the Hassanabad Nullah in Hunza and damaged infrastructure, putting dozens of homes at risk in the mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region, local media reported, citing officials.
The heavy flood eroded the protective walls of the Karakoram Highway (KKH), a key road connecting Pakistan with China, and damaged farmland.
More showers are expected in GB’s Astore, Skardu, Hunza, Shighar and surrounding areas, along with Bagh, Neelum Valley and Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir between Aug. 8 and Aug. 13, according to the NDMA.
Rains are also likely in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mianwali, Hafizabad, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Narowal, Okara, Lahore, Gujranwala, Gujrat and surrounding areas in Punjab, with occasional gaps during the forecast period.
“We request citizens to take precautionary measures during the monsoon season,” Irfan Ali Kathia, Director General of Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), said on Thursday.
“Keep children away from streams, low-lying areas, rivers and canals and strictly avoid swimming during rainfall.”