24 Killed as Floods Sweep Across Pakistan

At least 24 people, half of them children, have died in flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy monsoon rains in northwestern and eastern Pakistan, according to emergency management officials.

The extreme weather, which began Wednesday, marks the onset of the country’s annual monsoon season.

A report issued late Friday by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa confirmed that 11 people were killed in the past 24 hours alone.

Among the victims were four children and three women, while six others were injured. Most of the casualties occurred in the Swat Valley, where flash floods swept away families living along riverbanks, according to local media.

The floods have also caused significant property damage. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 56 homes were damaged, including six that were completely destroyed, the PDMA report added.

In Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province with a population of around 130 million, the Disaster Management Authority reported 13 fatalities since Wednesday. Among them were eight children, who died when roofs or walls collapsed under the weight of the rain. The adult victims were killed in sudden floods that struck rivers in the region, local officials confirmed.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned that the risk of further heavy rainfall and flash flooding remains high across several regions, particularly through Tuesday.