Pakistan Monsoon Toll Rises to 266, Including 126 Children: Officials Sources

News Desk

Islamabad: Nearly half of the 266 people killed during this year’s heavier-than-usual monsoon rains in Pakistan were children, most of them on their national school holidays, authorities confirmed on Friday.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported that 126 of the deceased were children, as rains that began on June 26 continue to wreak havoc across the country. The toll includes fatalities from flash floods, lightning strikes, building collapses, and drownings.

The majority of deaths occurred in Punjab Pakistan’s most populous province where rainfall levels have surged by 70 percent compared to last year, according to Mazhar Hussain, a spokesperson for the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Agency (PDMA).

“Children are very vulnerable to this situation,” Hussain told AFP. “They are playing in the water, bathing, and electricity shocks can happen. That’s why their ratio is higher than any other, especially because it’s a holiday in Punjab, so schools and colleges are closed.”

The NDMA warned that more intense rains are expected in August, raising fears of further casualties and damage. A spokesperson from the agency noted that such high death tolls are typically observed later in the season, but this year’s early deluges have brought an unusual level of destruction.

In Gilgit-Baltistan, a region known for its mountain landscapes and tourist attractions, torrential rains triggered a landslide earlier this week that swept away several vehicles. In late June, at least 13 tourists were killed after being caught in flash floods while sheltering on a riverbank.

The monsoon season, which stretches from late June to September, brings 70% to 80% of South Asia’s annual rainfall. While the rains are critical for agriculture and food security in Pakistan, they also routinely cause widespread destruction.

In 2022, catastrophic monsoon floods submerged one-third of the country and killed more than 1,700 people, underscoring Pakistan’s growing vulnerability to climate-induced disasters.