Heavy rains in Pakistan Lave 20 Dead, 80 Injured

On Saturday, heavy rains swept through Pakistan’s northwest, causing several houses to collapse and leaving at least 20 people dead and 80 injured, authorities reported.

Rescue officer Khater Ahmed said rain and hail hit the areas of Bannu, Lakki Marwat, and Karak in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, uprooting trees and destroying electricity transmission towers.

Ahmed said officials are working to provide emergency relief to the injured.

Last year, monsoon rains and floods ravaged Pakistan, killing more than 1,700 people, affecting some 33 million people, and displacing nearly 8 million people.

To mitigate the effects of natural disasters, the government in the draft national budget submitted on Friday allocated $1.3 billion to combat climate change.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday expressed his sorrow over the loss of life caused by the storm and directed the authorities to follow up the pace of the relief operation.

Meanwhile, Sharif ordered officials to take emergency measures before Cyclone Biparjoy approaches in the Arabia Sea.

Pakistan's Disaster Management Agency mentioned that the "severe and severe" cyclone, which had a speed of 150 km per hour (93 mph), was on its way towards the south of the country.