Untraceable lightning strikes accompanied by torrential rains have resulted in the tragic loss of at least 36 lives, predominantly among the farming community, across various regions of Pakistan over the past three days.
Authorities have declared a state of emergency in the southwestern part of the country in response to the calamity.
The fatalities occurred primarily among farmers engaged in the wheat harvest, with lightning strikes being the cause, while the relentless rains led to the collapse of numerous houses in the eastern Punjab province. Arfan Kathia, spokesperson for the government, revealed that the disaster also inflicted substantial damage, including the collapse of many residences, in the eastern Punjab area.
The fury of the rainstorm extended its reach to the nation’s capital, Islamabad, where it claimed seven lives, and the southwestern Baluchistan province, where the death toll reached eight over the weekend. Meanwhile, in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which shares its border with Afghanistan, further casualties were reported.
In response to the crisis, Shehbaz Sharif, the State Minister, announced on televised platforms that relief aid would be swiftly dispatched to the affected regions. Expressing his condolences for the lives lost and the devastation incurred, he also highlighted the potential positive impact of the rains on Pakistan’s water reservoirs.
The aftermath of the downpour has left a trail of destruction, with over 600 houses damaged and approximately 200 livestock perishing in the floods. Moreover, vast swathes of agricultural land have been ravaged, along with more than 85 kilometers (53 miles) of roads, according to the minister’s statements.
In neighboring Afghanistan, where similar havoc has been wreaked by the relentless rains, authorities have mobilized aid efforts for nearly 23,000 families. Reports indicate that flash floods have affected 20 out of the country’s 34 provinces, underscoring the widespread nature of the disaster.
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