The death toll from Pakistan’s ongoing monsoon season has tragically risen to 221, with five more fatalities reported in the past 24 hours, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The recent casualties include two men and three children, while ten others sustained injuries.

The relentless rains have unleashed widespread devastation across the country, causing flash floods, landslides, and lightning strikes, particularly impacting mountainous regions.Punjab province remains the hardest hit, with 135 deaths and 470 injuries attributed to building collapses, drowning, and electrocution.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported 40 deaths and 69 injuries, Sindh 22 deaths and 40 injuries, Balochistan 16 deaths, Azad Kashmir one death and six injuries, and Gilgit-Baltistan three non-fatal injuries. Islamabad also recorded one fatality.

The NDMA reports that over 800 homes have been damaged since the start of the monsoon season, with 200 livestock perished. In the past 24 hours alone, 25 houses collapsed and five more animals were killed. The damage is widespread, with significant numbers of partially and completely destroyed homes reported across all affected provinces.

A severe cloudburst near Babusar Top has triggered landslides, blocking numerous routes and stranding tourists. Rescue efforts are underway, and those affected have been safely relocated.The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a warning for widespread rain and thundershowers across much of the country, with a heightened risk of flash flooding, landslides, and urban flooding in several regions.

Authorities are urging citizens, particularly those in vulnerable areas, to take necessary precautions. The PMD’s forecast predicts continued heavy rainfall in the coming days. The monsoon season, while vital for agriculture, has been exacerbated in recent years by rapid urbanization, inadequate drainage, and increasingly frequent extreme weather events linked to climate change.