At least 35 dead and 50 injured as buildings collapse in Pakistan amid heavy rain and snow

The rain caused several houses to collapse and landslides to block roads, particularly in the northwest. Pakistan is also witnessing severe snowfall.

So far 35 rain-related deaths were reported in various areas in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan since Thursday night, the provincial disaster management authority said in a statement today.

Officials said mostly women and children were among 30 people who died in rain-related incidents in the Swat Valley, the Khyber district and elsewhere in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan since Thursday night.

Five people died in south-western Baluchistan province after floods swamped the coastal town of Gwadar, forcing authorities to use boats to evacuate people.

Sarfraz Bugti, the chief minister in Baluchistan, said on Sunday that 700 homes had been damaged.

Casualties and damage were also reported in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, the National Disaster Management Authority said.

Authorities are sending emergency relief and heavy machinery to remove debris blocking highways, the agency added.

The country’s Karakoram Highway, which links Pakistan with China, is still blocked in some places due to landslides triggered by rain and snow, according to regional officials. Snowfall has been unusually heavy for this time of year.

Authorities advised tourists against travelling to the scenic north due to weather conditions. Last week, several visitors were stranded there because of heavy rains.

Pakistan has this year witnessed a delay in winter rains, which started in February instead of November. Monsoon and winter rains cause damage in Pakistan every year.

In 2022, unprecedented rainfall and flooding devastated many parts of Pakistan, killing more than 1,739 people, affecting around 33 million and displacing nearly eight million. The disaster also caused billions of pounds in damage.