Nearly a week of heavy monsoon rains and flash floods across Pakistan has killed at least 46 people and injured dozens more, officials reported on Monday.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority and provincial emergency services, the fatalities include 22 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 13 in Punjab, seven in Sindh, and four in Balochistan.
Irfan Virk, deputy director of the Pakistan Meteorological Department, warned that above-normal rainfall is expected this monsoon season, raising fears of severe flooding similar to 2022 when extreme weather killed 1,737 people and inundated a third of the country.
Among the recent deaths were 13 tourists from the same family who were swept away by flash floods in the Swat River on Friday. Rescuers have recovered 12 bodies while divers continue searching for the last victim, provincial emergency spokesman Bilal Faizi said.
The incident sparked criticism online over the perceived slow response by emergency services. The National Disaster Management Authority has issued warnings advising the public against crossing rivers and streams as rains continue.
