Monsoon rains trigger house collapse in Lahore, killing 9 family members

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Monsoon rains collapsed the roof of a multistory house in eastern Pakistan, killing at least nine family members and injuring several others, officials said Thursday.

Pakistan has been experiencing above-normal rainfall in recent years, with scientists linking the trend to climate change. Although the country contributes less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, research shows it is among the nation’s most vulnerable to climate change.

The deluges have killed over 100 people in rain-related incidents since late June, including 14 children who died after the roof of a tutorial center collapsed.

A loud crash woke up residents of the Baghbanpura neighborhood of Lahore, the capital of eastern Punjab province, Wednesday night when the house crumpled. Emergency crews arrived at the scene as neighbors tried to pull the victims from under the debris.

The rescue operation lasted nearly 24 hours and emergency responders retrieved the bodies of the three families, according to witnesses and a government statement.

Several of the survivors were buried under a massive pile of rubble, according to Punjab’s emergency service. Some are in critical condition.

According to residents, ongoing monsoon rains had weakened the building’s upper roof, which gave way because of poor maintenance. They said the impact triggered a progressive collapse, bringing down the lower floors and the rest of the structure.

Authorities have warned they cannot rule out a repeat of the extreme weather that caused Pakistan’s catastrophic floods in 2022. The floods submerged about one-third of the country, killed 1,737 people and displaced millions.

Local residents look at a partially damaged railway bridge after flash floods caused by heavy rain near Lahore, Pakistan, Tuesday, July 28, 2026. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

Rescue workers transport a body recovered from the rubble at the site where a roof collapsed on a house in Lahore, Pakistan, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

Rescue workers search through the rubble at the site where a roof collapsed on a house in Lahore, Pakistan, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

LONDON (AP) — English cricket turned to another New Zealander on Thursday to coach the men's test team, hiring former Kiwi star Stephen Fleming with batting great Joe Root reappointed as captain.

Fleming replaced his former teammate Brendon McCullum, who was fired after losing the Ashes series 4-1 in Australia and, last month, the home series to New Zealand 2-1.

England now has an all-New Zealand coaching set-up with McCullum remaining in charge of the one-day and Twenty20 teams.

Fleming will start his new job after Pakistan's three-test tour, which begins on Aug. 19 in Leeds. Marcus Trescothick will be the interim England coach for that series.

Root was previously the permanent test captain of England from 2017-22 and holds the national record of 65 tests as captain, winning a record 27 of those matches.

The 35-year-old Root formally replaces Ben Stokes, who retired from international cricket after the New Zealand series in June. Stokes had endorsed his vice-captain Harry Brook as the next captain.

In his playing career, Fleming was New Zealand’s longest-serving captain across 80 test matches and won 28 of them. He played for three English county teams and won a league title with Nottinghamshire in 2005.

“English cricket gave that to me and it is a privilege to have this chance to give something back,” he said in a statement.

The England and Wales Cricket Board said it was giving Fleming leave to return home to be with family as he stepped down from coaching Chennai Super Kings only this month. He will prepare England for three tests in South Africa in December-January.

Fleming led Chennai to a record five titles in the Indian Premier League.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

FILE - New Zealand's batsman Stephen Fleming walks out for 66 in his last test for his team against England on the fourth day of the third international cricket test, at McLean Park, Napier, New Zealand, on March 25, 2008. (AP Photo/NZPA, Ross Setford)