Pakistan monsoon rains kill 50 in 24 Hours

Friday 15 August 2025 - 12:00

At least 50 people have died in 24 hours due to torrential monsoon rains in northern Pakistan, authorities reported Friday, bringing the total death toll since the start of the season in late June to over 350.

The majority of victims—43, including eight children and two women—were reported in the mountainous Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border, while seven others died in Kashmir.

Officials stated that people were killed either when their homes collapsed or their vehicles were swept away by landslides. In the Bajaur district, heavy downpours destroyed several houses, trapping more than 20 people under the rubble; 18 bodies have been recovered so far. Fifteen deaths were reported in the Lower Dir district.

Authorities described this year’s summer monsoon as “unusually heavy,” noting that in July, Punjab province, home to nearly half of Pakistan’s 255 million population, received 73% more rainfall than the previous year. Officials warned that rains are expected to intensify through mid-September.

While monsoon rains provide 70–80% of annual precipitation in South Asia and are essential for millions of farmers, they can also cause devastating floods. Pakistan, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, is facing increasingly frequent extreme weather events.