Heavy rains kill nearly 50 people in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Nearly 50 people have been killed and 80 others injured in Pakistan due to accidents triggered by torrential rains wreaking havoc in the country, officials said today.

The downpour started in Balochistan on Thursday and expanded to other provinces where heavy rainfall has been reported throughout the weekend, killing 49 people in the country, officials said.

The seasonal downpour began in Balochistan province on Thursday and hit other parts of the country subsequently where sporadic rainfall is still going on.

According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 18 people were killed in Balochistan, 15 in tribal regions, 10 in Punjab and six in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Another 80 people were injured and 75 houses destroyed in these rain- affected areas.

Officials said that the death toll may rise as some of these areas may not have been reached by the authorities so far. Majority of the people died after their houses collapsed.

There are also reports of heavy damage to wheat crop in south Punjab.

The rain today stopped in most of the areas but the meteorological department has predicted for another heavy rain spell which may begin by the middle of the week and continue for at least a couple of days. Flash floods in hilly areas are also expected.

Torrential rains and flooding killed over 80 people and affected nearly 300,000 people in the country during the rainy season last summer.