Rescue workers used army helicopters and boats to reach at least 50,000 families stranded in remote areas in Balochistan province after roads and bridges were destroyed by flooding, provincial interior minister Zia Langov said.
Several days of monsoon rains have ravaged Balochistan and Karachi, the most populous city in the south of the country, with streets flooded, roads blocked and millions forced to seek dry ground.
Rainfall in Balochistan and Karachi is the heaviest in Pakistan’s history, chief meteorologist Sardar Sarfraz said. The death toll from weeks of rainfall and flooding rose to 340 on Wednesday and is expected to rise further.
Scientists attribute the erratic rains and floods to climate change. There are warnings that the country could continue to suffer if concrete measures are not taken. Pakistan ranks eighth among countries most vulnerable to climate change, despite contributing less than 1 percent of global carbon emissions.
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