Death toll from 4 days of rains rises to 63 in Pakistan

Peshawar: Lightning and heavy rains led to 14 deaths in Pakistan, officials said today, bringing the death toll from four days of extreme weather to at least 63.

Flash floods have also killed dozens of people in neighbouring Afghanistan.

In Pakistan, most of the deaths were reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in the country’s northwest.

Collapsing buildings have killed 32 people, including 15 children and five women, said a spokesman for the Disaster Management Authority. Dozens more were also injured in the region, where 1,370 houses were damaged, he added.

The eastern province of Punjab has reported 21 lightning- and collapse-related deaths, while Baluchistan, in the country’s southwest, reported 10 dead as authorities declared a state of emergency following flash floods.