310 killed, 300 injured as heavy rains continue to wreak havoc in Pakistan

Nearly 310 people have been killed and 295 others injured in separate rain-related incidents in Pakistan since June 14 as heavy downpours continued to lash the country, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said.

A total of 175 women and children are among the deceased, the NDMA said in a situation report released on Sunday, adding that the rains have partially or fully damaged nearly 8,979 houses along with 48 bridges and several shops across the country, Xinhua news agency reported.

Most of the damages and casualties were reported from the country's southwestern Balochistan province, where 100 people died and 57 others sustained injuries due to monsoon rains that triggered flash floods, followed by the southern Sindh province, which has reported 70 deaths and 27 injuried people, according to the NDMA.

Almost 64 people were killed in the east Punjab province, 62 in the northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and 14 people in other parts of the country, said the NDMA.

The NDMA added that rescue and relief activities are underway. The agency has been providing food packs, tents, kitchen sets, mosquito nets, hygiene kits, blankets and tarpaulins to victims of rains and floods across the country.

The recent spell of rains during the last 48 hours has caused urban flooding in some big cities of Pakistan.

--IANS

int/khz/