ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (TEH) – Torrential monsoon rains have triggered a series of devastating landslides in northern Pakistan, obstructing several key transport routes and stranding a significant number of tourists, officials confirmed on Monday. The escalating weather-related crisis has seen the death toll mount to at least 133 nationwide in nearly a month, emphasizing the severity of the country’s monsoon predicament.
Ignoring cautionary alerts from the disaster management agency, thousands of tourists thronged various northern scenic spots in recent days. The agency had issued warnings last week, discouraging non-essential travel due to the heightened risk of landslides and flash floods triggered by monsoon downpours.
Sunday’s deluge instigated landslides that impacted numerous roads in the northern districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwest Pakistan. Taimoor Khan, a spokesman for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, assured that “the authorities are trying to clear roads to restore traffic in the mountainous areas.”
Monsoon rains, which commenced on June 24 in Pakistan, have been the source of escalating weather-related tragedies across the country, with at least 133 fatalities to date.
The unabating downpour has led to swelling of three primary rivers – Jhelum, Sutlej, and Chenab – inciting fears of possible floods in many regions. Consequently, around 15,000 individuals have been affected by the floods in the past three weeks. The unsettling numbers reflect the perilous conditions of the previous year when 1,739 people lost their lives due to heavy rains in Pakistan.
Pakistan typically experiences monsoon rains from July through September, a period that often poses significant challenges to both infrastructure and disaster management efforts. The current situation underscores the necessity for strengthened preparedness and timely response measures to mitigate the impacts of such natural disasters.
