Explore Nature

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on his visit during Pakistan Flooding said that he has never seen anything like the flood disaster in Pakistan. According to the National Disaster Management Authority, the current floods in Pakistan constitute the worst natural disaster in the country’s history. Back in 2005 Northern areas of Pakistan were struck with a powerful earthquake which lead thousands dead and millions homeless.

Here I have compiled a list of some of the worst natural disasters in history of Pakistan. I request International community to assist and offer support to Pakistani Government in this humanitarian crisis.

So far 2000 people have died in recent floods in Pakistan and over 20 million affected. Pakistan has sought international help to cope with the catastrophe. Despite mass evacuations, there are fears the death toll will rise as flooding reaches the southern province of Sindh and the risk of water-borne disease outbreaks increases in many areas.[Picture courtesy Boston]

A landslide in January 2010 in Attabad village in north of the country killed 20 people which led to around 40 houses sliding into the Hunza River. Debris from the landslide caused the river to dam, leading to the formation of a large lake which threatened to flood downstream areas. Some 20,000 were forced to leave their homes by June.

At least 730 people died as a result of flash floods triggered by Cyclone Yemyin, which struck coastal areas in early July 2007. Some 350,000 people were displaced, 1.5 million affected and more than two million livestock perished.

A 7.6-Richter scale quake struck the Kashmir region on the India-Pakistan border and parts of northwestern Pakistan on 8 October 2005. According to official figures, at least 73,000 people were killed and more than 3.3 million made homeless. Work even continues today to rebuild damaged infrastructure.

At least 1.2 million people in Balochistan were affected by drought, and over 100 died, mostly because of dehydration, according to the government. Millions of animals perished. The drought lasted over 10 months.

A 6.2 Richter scale quake hit Kohistan and surrounding areas including parts of Swat, Hunza and Kashmir in northern Pakistan in 1974. About 5,300 people were killed, 17,000 injured and 97,000 affected. Landslides and rock falls contributed to the damage.

The Bhola tropical cyclone struck the territory in 1970 was the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded and is rated as one of the worst natural disasters in modern times. Up to 500,000 lost their lives, primarily as a result of the storm surge that flooded much of the low-lying islands of the Ganges Delta.

Monsoon rain in 1950 killed an estimated 2,900 people across the country. Punjab Province, including the city of Lahore, was among the worst hit when the River Ravi flooded. Over 100,000 homes were destroyed, leaving around 900,000 people homeless.

A 7.8 Richter scale earthquake hit southwestern Balochistan on 28 November 1945. The epicenter was 98km southwest of the town of Pasni. Apart from massive damage to property, the quake led to a 40-foot tsunami causing the deaths of over 4,000 people.

A 7.7 Richter scale earthquake virtually leveled the city of Quetta in the province of Balochistan. About 60,000 people were killed in one of the deadliest earthquakes to hit South Asia. The epicenter was about 153km from Quetta.