Monsoon claims 13 lives in AJK

The monsoon rains have claimed 13 lives, including those of three children and five women, and injured seven people in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), according to damage figures released by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) on Saturday. The rains have also damaged 217 houses across the region, with 157 sustaining partial damage and 60 completely destroyed. The casualties comprised five men, five women and three children, while those injured included four men, two women and a child. According to the SDMA's assessment, the ongoing monsoon spell has also caused damage to 22 animals and properties across AJK. The authority said several link roads and bridges had also been damaged during the monsoon rains, which have continued since last month. More heavy rainfall expected Meanwhile, heavy rainfall is expected across Punjab and northern parts of the country over the next two days as the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) warned of urban flooding in Lahore, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot and other vulnerable cities, while landslides remain a risk in mountainous areas. The warning covers Saturday night and Sunday (today), with heavy rain likely to cause urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Mardan, Swabi, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot and Lahore. Flash flooding is also possible in local streams and nullahs in Kashmir, Murree, Galiyat and Islamabad-Rawalpindi. The Pakistan Meteorological Department said moderate monsoon currents were penetrating the upper and central parts of the country, while a westerly wave was affecting the upper regions and was expected to persist for the next two days. Rain and thunderstorms, with isolated heavy falls, are expected in upper Punjab, Islamabad, Kashmir, northeast Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan on Saturday. Similar weather is forecast across Punjab and the other affected regions on Sunday. Punjab has already received significant rainfall during the past 24 hours. According to the PDMA, Sialkot received the highest rainfall at 87mm, followed by Murree and Narowal with 53mm each, while Rawalpindi received 21mm, Gujrat 24mm, Gujranwala 3mm, Mangla 7mm and Attock 1mm. The PDMA said most districts of Punjab could receive further monsoon rain during the next 24 hours. Meanwhile, the weather office recorded 51mm of rain at Islamabad's Zeropoint, 45mm at Sialkot Airport, 43mm in Narowal and 41mm at Muzaffarabad Airport during the past 24 hours. The highest temperatures recorded during the period were 46°C in Nokundi and Dalbandin and 43°C in Sibbi and Dadu.