Torrential monsoon rains continue to pound Pakistan, killing another 21

KARACHI, Pakistan (AFP) — More than 20 people were killed on Wednesday in a torrential spell of monsoon rain in Pakistan, where downpours have swept away entire villages over the last week, leaving more than 400 dead.

Eleven people died in the touristic northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan and 10 others in Karachi, the financial capital in the south, due to urban flooding that caused house collapses and electrocution, the National Disaster Management Authority said.

Schools remained closed in the city of more than 20 million, as the meteorological department predicted more rain till Saturday.

Amir Hyder Laghari, chief meteorologist of the Sindh province, blamed "weak infrastructure" for the flooding in big cities.

Karachi's crumbling pipes and sewer system struggled to cope with the downpours.

Many areas of the city remained submerged on Wednesday, as residents scooped dirty rain water out from their homes with buckets.

Multiple neighborhoods experienced power cuts and connectivity problems.

Between 40 and 50 houses were damaged in two districts, provincial disaster official Muhammad Younis said.

"Another (rain) spell is to start by the end of the month," National Disaster Management Authority chairman Inam Haider Malik said.

More than 350 people have died in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a mountainous northern province bordering Afghanistan, since last Thursday.

‘Children are scared’

Authorities and the army were searching for dozens missing in villages hit by landslides and heavy rain, while excavators removed debris clogging drainage channels.

"We have established relief camps where we are providing medical assistance. We are also giving dry rations and tents to all the people," army Colonel Irfan Afridi told AFP in Buner district, where more than 220 people were killed.

Authorities have warned that the rains will continue until mid-September.

"The children are scared. They say we cannot sleep at night due to fear," said Anjum Anwar, a medical camp official in Buner. "The flood ... has destroyed our entire settlements."

Landslides and flash floods are common during the monsoon season, which typically begins in June and lasts until the end of September.

This year, nearly 750 people have died since the season started, according to authorities.

Pakistan is among the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change and is increasingly facing extreme weather events.

Monsoon floods submerged one-third of Pakistan in 2022, resulting in approximately 1,700 deaths.

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By ASIF HASSAN with AHMAD KHAN in Buner, Agence France-Presse