Evacuation under way as rains submerge Pakistani cities, kill dozens

Rescue workers and soldiers in Pakistan were on Thursday evacuating thousands of people from flooded neighbourhoods after several hours of torrential rains submerged major cities, killing more than 50 people, officials said.

Around 15,000 rescue workers backed by army helicopters and 800 boats were in a race against time to save people from flooded villages and cities in the central province of Punjab, rescue department spokesman Farooq Ahmad said.

The worst situation was in the city of Rawalpindi near the capital Islamabad where helicopters were rescuing people stranded on their rooftops after streams flooded into residential areas, Ahmad said.

More than 50 people died in the incidents linked to the rains and floods in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll since late last month to 180, the national disaster agency said.

Most deaths occurred due to collapsing walls and roofs as old structures continued to crumble after weeks of heavy monsoon rains, the agency added.

The meteorological department has warned that more heavy rains in July and August would cause swollen rivers, flash floods and inundations.

Pakistan, a country with a massive population of more than 240 million, is one of the most vulnerable nations to the impact of the climate change, according to the United Nations.

Each year, hundreds of people lose their lives to climate-induced disasters in the country, with thousands more losing their homes and livelihoods.

In 2022, the record-breaking floods resulted in over 2,000 deaths, left a third of Pakistan submerged and caused $40 billion of damage to the economy of the impoverished South Asian nation.