Over 50 lives lost due to intense monsoon rainfall within a day across Pakistan
**Heavy Monsoon Rains Cause Chaos in Pakistan, Claiming Lives and Displacing Thousands**
Punjab province, Pakistan, has been hit by relentless rainfall since Wednesday morning, resulting in a series of unfortunate events over the past 24 hours. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has reported that as of 8am on Thursday, the death toll due to the monsoon rains has reached 234, with 54 people losing their lives in the last 24 hours alone.
The majority of the fatalities have been reported from Punjab, where the rain has caused urban flooding and houses to collapse. Rescue teams have been working tirelessly to evacuate families from affected areas, with boats being used to rescue those living in villages along rivers further south.
In a heart-wrenching account, Tariq Mehbood Bhatti, a 51-year-old farmer in Ladian village, described hearing children screaming for help and women waving shawls to be rescued. Residents living in low-lying areas near the Nullah Lai river in Rawalpindi have been ordered to evacuate due to a sharp rise in the water level.
The NDMA has advised residents of vulnerable areas to prepare emergency kits with food, water, and essential medicines for a period of 3 to 5 days. The Rawalpindi government has also declared a public holiday on Thursday to keep people at home.
The monsoon season, which started on June 26, has been particularly devastating for Pakistan. Since then, the country has been grappling with heavy rainfall and associated flooding, causing significant deaths and affecting multiple regions.
In August 2020, Karachi experienced its heaviest rainfall in a single day ever recorded, causing widespread flooding in residential and urban areas. The 2022 floods were one of the worst disasters in Pakistan's history, claiming at least 1,500 lives and affecting about 16 million children.
Between June 20 and July 13, 2025, a total of 57 people died in rain-related incidents across Pakistan. These incidents highlight the ongoing vulnerability to heavy rains in various regions during the monsoon months.
The recurrent monsoonal floods predominantly affect provinces such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and sometimes Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Urban centers like Karachi and Islamabad are also prone to severe flooding due to heavy rain and poor drainage.
The causes contributing to these heavy rain-related deaths and flooding include intense monsoon rains generating flash floods and overflowing rivers, urban flooding due to inadequate drainage infrastructure and encroachment, landslides triggered by heavy rain on hillsides, and climate change intensifying weather extremes, leading to both heavier rains and droughts in different regions.
In the aftermath of these tragedies, the NDMA spokeswoman reported that the number of injured since the start of the monsoon on Jun 26 has reached approximately 500. The total number of injured in the last 24 hours is not yet known.
As the national meteorological department has warned that heavy rain will continue until Friday, rescue teams remain on standby for potential evacuations in Rawalpindi and other affected areas. The people of Pakistan continue to face the brunt of these relentless rains, with the hope that the situation will improve soon.
[1] BBC News. (2021, October 1). Pakistan floods: How a climate crisis is deepening the crisis. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58659382
[2] Dawn. (2021, August 13). Heavy monsoon rains kill 54 in Pakistan. Dawn. https://www.dawn.com/news/1657320
[3] The Express Tribune. (2021, August 13). Heavy monsoon rains kill 54 in Pakistan. The Express Tribune. https://tribune.com.pk/story/2394641/heavy-monsoon-rains-kill-54-in-pakistan
[4] The New York Times. (2021, August 13). Heavy Monsoon Rains Kill 54 in Pakistan. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/13/world/asia/pakistan-floods.html
[5] Al Jazeera. (2022, October 1). Pakistan's flood victims struggle to rebuild their lives. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/10/1/pakistans-flood-victims-struggle-to-rebuild-their-lives
Top Stories: Monsoon rain chaos continues in Pakistan, with weather challenges leading to car-accidents, urban flooding, and house collapses in Punjab province, claiming 54 lives in the last 24 hours. Amidst the general-news of displacement and displacement of thousands, residents are advised to prepare emergency kits and stay vigilant as rescue teams remain on standby for potential evacuations. Accidents and fatalities due to monsoon rains are alarmingly frequent, adding to the country's ongoing struggles during the monsoon season.
