Pakistan: 11 dead, 6 injured after wall collapses in Islamabad due to heavy monsoon rains

At least 11 people were killed while six others were injured after a building's wall collapsed due to incessant monsoon rains in Islamabad's Peshawar Road area. The deceased have been identified as labourers and the bodies were recovered from the rubble using machinery, according to a report inDawn.

Khan Zeb, the superintendent of police for Industrial Area I-9 said rescue teams arrived on the siteimmediately after receiving the incident alert. He added that the operation was currently underway to recover more people who might still be trapped in the debris.

Meanwhile, the bodies of the deceased were shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), according to Dr Mubashir Daha, who is the spokesperson for Pims Executive Director Dr Imran Sikander. Daha added that six injured were also brought in, out of which one was discharged while the remaining were out of danger.

Notably, heavy rainfall has been lashing the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad for the past week.

According to Muhammad Tanveer, managing director of the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), heavy machinery and personnel havebeen mobilised to combat the rising water levels in several areas.

“Our primary objective is to drain the excess water and ensure the safety of affected communities. Efforts are focused on swiftly pumping out water from inundated areas and addressing potential hazards posed by the flooding.”

Pakistan Meteorological Department in a statement said the twin cities had experienced rainfall exceeding 60 millimetres, which had caused a flood-like situation.

On July 7, at least 17 people lost their lives while 49 were injured when multiple incidents of roof and wall collapses were reported across Punjab.

NDMA predictions

Earlier this year, the NDMA had predicted that there was a 72 per cent chance of devastating floods in Pakistan in 2023, according to a report in ARY News.

NDMA chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider, in a briefing to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), attributed these floods to a rapid rise in the temperature, glacier melting and early monsoon.

Watch:Rains wreak havoc in Pakistan's Lahore, incessant downpour leaves 7 dead

The NDMA and Pakistan’s Climate Change Ministry have been monitoring 17 satellites and 36 flood early warning systems, said Haider, adding that if catastrophic floods like last year were to happen again, the country would face a huge economic crisis.

(With inputs from agencies)

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