Islamabad, July 7 (QNA) - At least 72 people have been killed and over 130 others injured as torrential monsoon floods swept through large parts of Pakistan over the past ten days, amid official warnings of a worsening crisis due to continued rainfall.

In a statement today, Pakistan's disaster management authority confirmed that no fewer than 72 people had lost their lives due to monsoon rains followed by severe flooding that has persisted for ten days.

The statement indicated that the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan have been the hardest hit, urging local authorities in these regions to exercise maximum caution as rainfall continues and the situation may deteriorate further in the coming days.

The agency also urged tourists to avoid traveling to the affected areas, warning that continued rain could lead to highway closures and further flooding, posing additional risks to both visitors and residents.

It is worth noting that in 2023, Pakistan experienced monsoon rains exceeding normal levels, along with unprecedented flooding in the north and south caused by glacial melt. That disaster claimed the lives of over 1,700 people, displaced millions, and inflicted billions of dollars in economic losses. (QNA)