World News| Torrential rain in northwest Pakistan kills 20 and injures 80

Peshawar, June 10 (AP) – Heavy rains swept through northwest Pakistan Saturday, killing at least 20 people and injuring 80 others, as houses collapsed Saturday, authorities said.

Rain and hail hit the Bannu, Rajmalwat and Karak districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, uprooting trees and toppling power transmission towers, senior rescue official Hater Ahmed said.

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Ahmed said officials were working to provide emergency assistance to the injured.

Monsoon rains and floods devastated Pakistan last year, killing more than 1,700 people, affecting some 33 million and displacing nearly 8 million.

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To mitigate the impact of natural disasters, the government allocated $1.3 billion for climate resilience in the draft national budget presented on Friday.

On Saturday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif expressed grief over the casualties caused by the storm and directed authorities to speed up rescue operations.

Meanwhile, Sharif ordered officials to take emergency measures ahead of impending Cyclone Bipajoy in the Arabian Sea.

Pakistan’s disaster management agency said a “severe and intense” cyclone with winds of 150 kilometers per hour (93 mph) was moving towards the south of the country. (Associated Press)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the body of content may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)