RAWALPINDI: At least 63 people have died and 290 were injured in the past 24 hours as torrential rains battered Pakistan’s Punjab province, mostly due to collapsing buildings, drowning, and electrocution, the National Disaster Management Authority reported.

In Rawalpindi, authorities declared Thursday a public holiday and ordered evacuations near rising riverbanks.

The nationwide death toll since the monsoon began in late June has reached nearly 180—over half of them children.
Major expressways have been shut, and numerous flights delayed or canceled.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz declared emergencies in several areas, urging the public to follow safety guidelines.

Chakwal recorded 400mm of rain in a day, prompting dramatic rescue operations with boats and helicopters.

Thousands of emergency personnel remain on standby, as more rains and flash floods are forecast over the weekend.

Pakistan, highly vulnerable to climate change, continues to suffer from extreme weather, glacier melt, and flooding.

In 2022, one-third of the country was submerged, causing 1,700 deaths and $30 billion in damages.