At least 161 dead in Pakistan floods

For the third consecutive year now, Pakistan is facing a deluge of heavy rains and floods.

At least 161 people have died and 601 others got injured because of heavy monsoon rains in the country, according to the Pakistan Red Crescent Society. The rains started Sept. 9 and are expected to continue, albeit weaker, over the next few days, particularly in Sindh, eastern Balochistan and Kashmir.

Among the most affected areas are the Pakistani-administered area of the Kashmir region and the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The province of Sindh experienced some of the heaviest rains over the past days, especially the districts of Jacobabad and Sukkur, which received some 305 and 164 millimeters of rainfall Sunday. This caused floods in low-lying areas, pockets of power disruption, and “extensive damage to life and property, according to Meg Sattler, World Vision’s emergency communicator in Pakistan.

The Pakistan Red Crescent Society said it has sent teams and aid to Jacobabad and other affected areas. The group said it also has relief supplies on standby for deployment to Punjab and Balochistan, where it is waiting for the water to recede to be able to enter and distribute aid.

Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were also among the hardest hit during the 2010 floods which left at least a fifth of Pakistan underwater. The 2010 floods, which started late August, remain one of the biggest humanitarian emergencies in history, affecting up to 20 million and resulting in close to 2,000 deaths. Pakistan also suffered a bout of flooding in November last year, which affected up to 8 million people.

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