Heavy rains hit Pakistan's south as this monsoon's death toll rises to 209

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Flash floods triggered by monsoon rains swept through streets in southern Pakistan and blocked a key highway in the north, officials said Monday, as the death toll from rain-related incidents rose to 209 since July 1.

Fourteen people died across Punjab province in the past 24 hours, said Irfan Ali, an official at the provincial disaster management authority. Most of the other deaths have occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces.

Pakistan's annual monsoon season runs from July through September. Scientists and weather forecasters have blamed climate change for heavier rains in recent years. In 2022, climate-induced downpours inundated one-third of the country, killing 1,739 people and causing $30 billion in damage.

Zaheer Ahmed Babar, a senior official with the Pakistan Meteorological Department, said the latest spell of heavy rains will continue this week in parts of the country. The downpour in southern Pakistan has flooded streets in Sukkur district of Sindh province.

Authorities said efforts were underway to clear the key Karakorum highway in the north of landslides. Flash floods have also damaged some bridges in the north, disrupting traffic.

The government advised tourists to avoid affected areas.

More than 2,200 homes have been damaged across Pakistan since July 1, when the monsoon rains began, the National Disaster Management Authority said.

Neighboring Afghanistan also has had rains and flood-related damage since May, with more than 80 people killed. On Sunday, three people died when their vehicle was washed away by floods in Ghazni, according to provincial police.

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Associated Press writers Rahim Faiez and Asim Tanveer contributed to this story from Islamabad and Multan.