Islamabad, July 22, 2025: As relentless monsoon rains continue to batter the country, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed authorities to step up rescue and relief operations amid rising casualties and widespread destruction. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 21 more deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the total monsoon death toll to 242 nationwide.
The fatalities have resulted from flash floods, collapsing homes, electrocution, lightning strikes, drowning incidents, and landslides. Among the latest victims were five people in Islamabad, including two children, who died in separate rain-related incidents. The federal capital was hit by heavy downpours that caused urban flooding in low-lying areas, submerged roads, and disrupted power and traffic in several sectors.
A particularly tragic incident occurred at Babusar Top, a tourist hotspot in the north, where a vehicle carrying a family was swept off the road by a landslide and plunged into a ravine. Three people lost their lives in the accident, while rescue teams struggled for hours to reach the site due to blocked mountain roads and continued rockfalls.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported the highest number of casualties in the past day with 10 deaths, followed by Islamabad (5), Gilgit-Baltistan (3), Sindh (2), and Azad Kashmir (1). Of the 21 victims, 12 were children. Over the course of the monsoon season so far, 598 people have been injured, including nearly 200 children.
Punjab remains the worst-affected region, accounting for 135 deaths and 470 injuries. KP has seen 56 deaths, Sindh 24, Balochistan 16, Gilgit-Baltistan three, Azad Kashmir two, and Islamabad six total deaths so far.
The NDMA reported that more than 850 homes have been damaged or destroyed during the ongoing rains, and 208 livestock animals have perished. In the past 24 hours alone, 50 homes were demolished and eight animals lost.
In their separate messages, President Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz expressed deep grief over the lives lost and urged provincial and federal departments to intensify their relief operations. PM Shehbaz instructed the NDMA to remain on high alert and provide full assistance to the affected regions, while also directing the National Highway Authority and Frontier Works Organisation to expedite the repair of flood-damaged roads and highways.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast continued rain, wind, and thunderstorms in Islamabad, Punjab, KP, Gilgit-Baltistan, and northeast Balochistan through Wednesday. It warned of flash floods in local streams and nullahs, especially in northern and hilly areas such as Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Chitral, Swat, and Mansehra, and urban flooding in major cities including Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, and Peshawar.
Authorities have also raised alarms about potential landslides and mudslides in Murree, Galliyat, KP’s mountainous districts, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. Citizens have been advised to remain cautious, avoid unnecessary travel to northern regions, and follow local advisories.
