File Photo. Farooq Naeem—AFP
Collapsed roofs blamed for majority of deaths caused by last week’s torrential downpour.
The death toll from torrential rain that has lashed Pakistan for the past five days has risen to 42, authorities said Monday, with collapsed roofs blamed for the fatalities.
Apart from the deaths, 70 injuries were reported and 75 houses damaged, said a statement by the National Disaster Management Authority.
The rain began late Thursday across the country, with Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces worst hit.
Poorly built homes, particularly in rural areas, are most susceptible to collapse during heavy spring rains.
The death toll from the collapse of a coal mine shaft in Orakzai also rose to seven, with 10 injured. Officials said the rescue at the mine ended Monday morning after 16 people were saved.
“The rescue operation has ended and we have seven people dead, 10 injured while 16 others have been rescued from the mine,” said Zubair Khan, a top government official in the district. More than 30 miners were trapped after the shaft collapsed amid heavy downpours on Sunday.