Rain disasters kill more than 200 in deadly week in Asia, Lahore gets record downpours

Indian army soldiers make a bailey bridge as rescuers search through mud and debris for a third day after landslides set off by torrential rains in Wayanad district, Kerala state, India, on August 1, 2024. (AP)
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Updated 02 August 2024
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Rain disasters kill more than 200 in deadly week in Asia, Lahore gets record downpours

  • Governments have launched disaster prevention plans to try to mitigate the damage
  • Rescue teams scramble to evacuate people ahead of storms and deliver relief goods

In India and China, torrential rains have killed more than 200 people in the past week. Three others died in Pakistan. Widespread flooding has been reported in North Korea near the border with China with no word on whether anyone died.

This time of year is monsoon and typhoon season in Asia, and climate change has intensified such storms. Heavy rains have triggered landslides and flooding, devastating crops, destroying homes and taking lives.

Historical data shows that China is having more extremely hot days and more frequent intense rains, according to a report released last month by the China Meteorological Administration, which forecasts more of both in the coming 30 years.

Governments have launched disaster prevention plans to try to mitigate the damage. Rescue teams scramble to evacuate people ahead of approaching storms and deliver relief goods by helicopter to cut-off areas. China has deployed drones for emergency communication in rain-prone provinces.

Sometimes it isn’t enough, as the tragic consequences playing out in Asia show.

India: 194 dead, 187 missing

Heavy rains sent torrents of mud and water through tea estates and villages in Kerala state in southern India early Tuesday, destroying bridges and flattening houses.

Hope of finding survivors has waned as the search entered its fourth day. Bodies have been found as many as 30 kilometers (20 miles) downriver from the main landslides.

The area is known for its picturesque tea and cardamom estates, with hundreds of plantation workers living in nearby temporary shelters. “This was a very beautiful place,” a shopkeeper said. “I used to visit here many times. ... Now there is nothing left.”

India regularly has severe floods during the monsoon season, which runs between June and September and brings rain that is crucial for crops.

China: 48 dead, 35 missing

Typhoon Gaemi was blamed for more than 30 deaths in the Philippines and 10 in Taiwan as it churned through the western Pacific last week, but it was still fatal after weakening to a tropical storm in China.

Rain drenched parts of inland Hunan province for several days. On Sunday morning, a mudslide slammed into a homestay house in a popular weekend spot, killing 15 people.

Elsewhere in Hunan, the bodies of three people were found on Monday, believed to be victims of another landslide. And authorities in nearby Zixing city announced Thursday that 30 people had died in floods, with 35 others missing.

One other death in China was apparently tied to the storm, a delivery driver on a scooter struck by falling tree branches during high winds in Shanghai.

China has recorded 25 major floods this year, the most since it began keeping statistics in 1998, the Ministry of Water Resources said this week.

North Korea: Damage, but no information on deaths

The tropical storm also generated heavy rain in northeast China on the border with North Korea, overflowing the Yalu River, which divides the two countries.

In North Korea, the rain flooded 4,100 houses, 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) of farmland and many public buildings, roads and railways.

Its state media did not give information on deaths, though the nation’s leader Kim Jong Un implied there were casualties when he was quoted blaming public officials who had neglected disaster prevention, causing “the casualty that cannot be allowed.”

Military helicopters and navy and other government boats evacuated stranded residents. State TV aired footage showing Kim and other officials riding on rubber boats to examine the scale of the damage. The footage showed houses submerged in muddy waters with only their roofs visible.

On the Chinese side, state television showed excavators in rushing water trying to clear debris after a mudslide in Jilin province. One city near North Korea asked people living below the third floor to move higher as the Yalu River rose.

In Dandong, a large Chinese city along the river, rescuers evacuated residents in rubber dinghies on streets turned into virtual lakes. There were no reports of deaths.

Pakistan: 3 dead

Record rainfall in the city of Lahore flooded streets and left at least three people dead in Pakistan on Thursday. The deaths at the start of August came on top of 99 rain-related fatalities the previous month.

Some parts of Lahore recorded 353 millimeters (14 inches) of rain in a few hours, breaking a 44-year-old record. The rain was so heavy that it entered some hospital wards in the capital of Punjab province.

The victims included two children, one who drowned in a flooded street and another who fell from the roof of her house.


Pakistan Hajj mission delivers vital health care to pilgrims with over 300 staffers

Updated 5 sec ago
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Pakistan Hajj mission delivers vital health care to pilgrims with over 300 staffers

  • Pakistan’s Hajj Medical Mission has so far treated more than 11,000 pilgrims
  • The mission has set up two hospitals, 11 dispensaries in Makkah and Madinah

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Hajj Medical Mission (PHMM), which comprises over 300 doctors and paramedics, has treated more than 11,000 pilgrims in Makkah and Madinah over the past three weeks, the PHMM head said on Sunday.

This year’s Hajj is expected to take place between June 4 and June 9, with nearly 112,620 Pakistanis set to perform the annual pilgrimage. Of these, approximately 89,000 will travel under the government scheme, while 23,620 will go through private tour operators.

“The Pakistan Hajj Medical Mission 2025 consisted of 301 doctors and paramedical staff from both civilian and armed forces backgrounds, including 72 lady doctors and female health workers,” Col. Dr. Shaheer Jamal, the PHMM director, told Arab News over the phone from Makkah.

“We have treated over 11,194 pilgrims so far and are currently attending to an average of about 2,000 pilgrims daily in Makkah and 40 in Madinah, mostly suffering from dehydration.”

The mission includes medical specialists, surgeons, cardiologists, orthopedic specialists, gynecologists, dermatologists, ENT specialists, psychiatrists, pharmacists, public health specialists and physiotherapists, according to Dr. Jamal.

It has established two hospitals, one each in Makkah and Madinah, along with nine dispensaries in Makkah and two in Madinah.

“Separate wards of 30 beds each had been established for men and women in the central hospital in Makkah, while in Madinah, a small hospital with 11 beds was set up,” he said, adding that their teams were working in three shifts to provide 24/7 care to pilgrims.

Other departments at the mission include emergency, isolation ward, pharmacy, pathology, minor OT, dental, and radiology, the official added.

For patients needing further medical assistance, Dr. Jamal said, the mission had reached an agreement with the Saudi German Hospital which has been treating Pakistani pilgrims both in Makkah and Madinah.

“So far, we have referred 30 patients to the Saudi German Hospital in Makkah and Madinah,” he shared.

The PHMM chief said the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Ministry of Health have extended full support in the establishment of the hospitals and the transfer of medicines and medical equipment to the Kingdom.

He said all medicines had been tested before being brought to Saudi Arabia and were being provided to pilgrims free of cost.

The medical plan for the core Hajj days in Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah will follow a multi-layered approach, according to the official. Saudi health authorities will assume primary responsibility of providing comprehensive health care services to all pilgrims.

“However, to support Pakistani pilgrims specifically, the Pakistan Hajj Medical Mission deployed its own medical staff in Mina with the first aid kits to provide initial medical assistance, ensuring timely primary care before referring patients to larger Saudi facilities, if needed,” Dr. Jamal said.

Due to extreme weather conditions, the mission has proactively prepared and is disseminating educational materials specifically designed to guide pilgrims on how to prevent heatstroke and other heat-related illnesses.

“This guidance includes advice on hydration, appropriate clothing, recognizing symptoms, and seeking timely medical help,” he said.

The South Asian country launched its Hajj flight operation on Apr. 29, which will continue till May 31.


Blast kills three, injures 11 in Pakistan’s restive southwest

Updated 18 May 2025
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Blast kills three, injures 11 in Pakistan’s restive southwest

  • The explosives were planted on a vehicle and were detonated at a market next to a security forces’ camp in the Killa Abdullah district
  • No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack that came two days after Pakistani Taliban said they had killed four troops

QUETTA: At least three people were killed and 11 others wounded after an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in a border district in Pakistan southwestern Balochistan province, a government official said on Sunday.

The blast took place inside a market next to a security forces camp in Gulistan town of Killa Abdullah district, located close to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The explosives were planted on a vehicle and were detonated at around 8:30pm, according to Killa Abdullah Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Riaz Dawar.

“Majority of the shops inside the market were closed when the blast hit the market,” Dawar told Arab News.

“A wall of the security forces’ camp was also partially damaged due to the intensity of the blast.”

The bodies and injured were shifted to hospital. Two of the wounded persons were brought to Trauma Center in Quetta who were in stable condition and undergoing treatment, according to Dr. Arbab Kamran Kasi.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in Gulistan town that is situated close to Afghanistan’s Kandahar province.

Pakistan is currently battling twin insurgencies: one led my religiously motivated groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), mainly in its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and the other by ethno-nationalist Baloch separatist groups in Balochistan.

The TTP and Daesh have also maintained some presence in Balochistan.

The latest attack comes two days after the TTP said it had targeted a security check post in Balochistan’s Khuzdar that killed four members of the Levies paramilitary force.

In Jan. 2025, Pakistan’s military said security forces had thwarted an attack on a paramilitary force’ camp in Gulistan, killing two suicide bombers among five attackers.


Pakistan to send high-level delegation to key world capitals to expose ‘Indian propaganda’

Updated 18 May 2025
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Pakistan to send high-level delegation to key world capitals to expose ‘Indian propaganda’

  • New Delhi last month accused Pakistan of backing an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists, mostly Hindus
  • Pakistan denies complicity and reached out to world powers before a limited-scale military standoff with India began this month

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to send a high-level diplomatic delegation to important world capitals to expose ‘Indian propaganda’ against Islamabad, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday, days after a ceasefire deal was reached with New Delhi.

New Delhi accused Pakistan of backing an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam town that killed 26 tourists, mostly Hindus, on April 22. Islamabad has denied complicity and called for a credible, international probe into the assault.

Tensions over the attack last week led the nuclear-armed neighbors into a military conflict, the worst between them in decades, with both countries attacking each other with drones, missiles and artillery and killing around 70 people on both sides.

The conflict began when India struck what it said were “terrorist camps” in multiple Pakistan cities on May 7, alarming world powers that the standoff could spiral into a full-blown war. US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire on May 10, which has since held.

“The delegation will visit London, Washington, Paris and Brussels to highlight India’s disinformation campaign and its attempts to destabilize regional peace,” the Radio Pakistan broadcaster said, adding Sharif has tasked ex-foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari with leading the body.

“It will also underscore Pakistan’s sincere efforts for peace and stability in the region.”

Members of the high-level body include Dr. Musadik Malik, Khurram Dastgir, Senator Sherry Rehman, Hina Rabbani Khar, Faisal Subzwari, Tehmina Janjua and Jalil Abbas Jilani.

Bitter rivals India and Pakistan have fought three wars, including two over the disputed region of Kashmir, since gaining independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety but rule it in part.

India has long battled an insurgency on the side it rules by armed separatists fighting for independence or a merger with Pakistan. New Delhi accuses Pakistan of backing the militants, Islamabad says it only offers political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiris.

The region has long been described as the “nuclear flashpoint” of South Asia and last week prompted President Trump to offer Washington’s mediation to resolve the issue.

Separately, Pakistan’s Deputy PM Ishaq Dar will travel to China on Monday for a two day visit to discuss “evolving regional situation,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said.

“The two sides will also review the entire spectrum of Pakistan-China bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest,” it said in a statement.

Dar told parliament on May 7, hours after aerial combat between the two sides, that Islamabad used Chinese jets against India, with Beijing’s ambassador called to his office over the deployment.

“At 4am in the morning, the whole Chinese team, led by their ambassador, was present at the foreign office,” Dar told the parliament.

“We apprised them about all the developments taken place until that time.”

US President Donald Trump announced a surprise truce on May 10, which appears to be holding over a week later.

While Islamabad stated earlier this week that the ceasefire would last until Sunday, the Indian army said there was no expiry date to the agreement.


Pakistan Senate chief attends inaugural mass of Pope Leo in show of interfaith harmony

Updated 18 May 2025
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Pakistan Senate chief attends inaugural mass of Pope Leo in show of interfaith harmony

  • Pope Leo XIV set the tone for his papacy with a call to stop exploiting nature and marginalizing the poor at the inaugural mass
  • Ten days after he became first US head of 1.4 billion Catholics, some 200,000 people gathered to see the mass in St. Peter’s Square

ISLAMABAD: Yousuf Raza Gillani, chairman of the Senate of Pakistan, on Sunday attended the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV in Vatican City, Pakistan’s Press Information Department (PID) said, in a show of Islamabad’s commitment to promoting interfaith harmony.

Pope Leo XIV set the tone for his papacy with a call to stop exploiting nature and marginalizing the poor at the inaugural mass, attended by dignitaries including Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and US Vice President JD Vance.

Ten days after he became the first US head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, some 200,000 people gathered to see his inaugural mass in St. Peter’s Square, according to the Vatican.

Gillani’s presence at the mass highlighted Pakistan’s respect for the Catholic community worldwide and its dedication to fostering dialogue and mutual understanding among diverse religious traditions.

“Gillani is scheduled to engage in bilateral meetings with Vatican officials and international counterparts to discuss shared interests, including the promotion of peace, protection of minority rights, and the advancement of interfaith collaboration,” the PID said.

“Pakistan remains steadfast in its advocacy for religious tolerance and coexistence, and Chairman Gillani’s participation in this significant event reaffirms the nation’s role in promoting global understanding and harmony.”

Before the mass began, the Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost delighted the crowds by taking to the popemobile for the first time, smiling, waving and blessing those he passed.

In his homily, the soft-spoken 69-year-old returned to the themes of peace, reconciliation and social justice that have marked his first few days as pope.

“In this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth’s resources and marginalizes the poorest,” he said.

After two decades spent as missionary in Peru, the new pope — who was only made a cardinal in 2023 — is unknown to many Catholics.

But many of those gathered in St. Peter’s Square said they liked what they had heard so far.

Maria Grazia La Barbera, 56, a pilgrim from Palermo in Sicily, said Leo was “the right person at the right time” to lead the Church.

“He will certainly do what he promised: knocking down walls and building bridges,” she said.
— With additional input from AFP


At least one killed, 11 injured as storm hits upper parts of Pakistan

Updated 18 May 2025
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At least one killed, 11 injured as storm hits upper parts of Pakistan

  • Sporadic rainfall was witnessed in some areas as several trees were uprooted, roofs caved in and walls of some homes collapsed
  • Pakistan has seen erratic changes in weather leading to frequent heatwaves, untimely rains, cyclones and droughts in recent years

ISLAMABAD: A child was killed and 11 people were injured as a thunderstorm hit upper parts of Pakistan on Sunday, a rescue official said.

The storm hit Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda and adjacent districts in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and Punjab’s Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal, Mianwali, Rawalpindi, Murree districts as well as the federal capital of Islamabad.

Sporadic rainfall was witnessed in these areas as several trees were uprooted, roofs caved in and walls of some homes collapsed because of strong gusts of winds.

“So far, one child lost their life and 11 people have been injured in Nowshera and Charsadda,” Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for the KP Rescue 1122 service, said, adding that rescue teams were busy clearing affected areas.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) earlier warned citizens of temporary disruptions in power supply, cautioning citizens of potential hazards.

“Stay away from trees, billboards, and unsecured structures that could collapse,” it said. “Park vehicles in safe, covered areas and avoid unnecessary movement during storms.”

Pakistan has seen erratic changes in its weather patterns which have led to frequent heat waves, untimely rains, storms, cyclones and droughts in recent years. Scientists have blamed the events on human-driven climate change.

In 2022, devastating floods, blamed on human-driven climate change, killed more than 1,700 Pakistanis, affected another 33 million and caused the country over $30 billion in economic losses.