"A Biblical Flood"... Pakistan Nears 1,000 Deaths from Record Heavy Rainfall

Damage Scale Increasing
UN, UK and International Community Announce Emergency Support Plans

The swollen river due to heavy rain concentrated in Pakistan since last June [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] Nearly 1,000 people have died so far due to heavy rains and floods caused by the monsoon season that began in Pakistan in June. Additionally, 33 million people have been displaced, prompting the Pakistani government to declare a national emergency.

According to local media such as Daily Pakistan on the 28th, the Pakistan National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) announced that the death toll from heavy rains and floods since June 14 has risen to 1,033 (as of last night).

Injuries have been reported at 1,527, but additional casualties continue to be reported from collapsed buildings and other areas.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appealed to the international community for support as the flood damage has snowballed. Pakistan is facing a disaster crisis on top of an economic crisis, including depletion of foreign exchange reserves.

Many areas have become inaccessible due to bridges being destroyed by the floods. NDMA reported that 949,858 houses were partially or completely destroyed, 149 bridges collapsed, and 3,451 km of roads were washed away by the floods.

The military authorities are rescuing isolated people, but with rain forecasted until next week, the affected areas may increase.

Pakistan enters the monsoon season every year from June to September, but heavy rains usually begin in July. However, this year, heavy rains started in mid-June and were much stronger than average.

Many parts of Pakistan are difficult to access due to heavy rains and floods, and rescue workers are focusing on evacuating residents trapped in the affected areas.

The hardest-hit areas are Balochistan and Sindh provinces. In the southern region of Balochistan, rainfall during this year’s monsoon season exceeded the average by more than 522%.

A local official from Sindh province told the BBC in an interview, "This is a flood that could only be found in the Bible." Junaid Khan, 23, who lives in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said, "The house we painstakingly built over years sank right before our eyes. We sat by the roadside and watched it happen."

Meanwhile, problems such as food shortages and waterborne diseases are also occurring in various places. Currently, mobile trucks carrying relief supplies are arriving across Pakistan, and children are running to form long lines.

A BBC local correspondent reported, "A 12-year-old girl affected by the flood said her younger sister is vomiting and unable to eat anything, hoping for help."

Authorities in Swat province stated that heavy rains damaged roads over a 130 km stretch, completely destroyed 15 bridges, and destroyed more than 100 houses as well as at least 50 hotels and restaurants.

The United Nations announced plans to raise $160 million (approximately 214.8 billion KRW) to assist Pakistan, and the United Kingdom said it would provide emergency aid amounting to 1.5 million pounds (approximately 2.3 billion KRW) to Pakistan.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.