Pakistan expands rescue efforts after floods kill more than 200 in one district
An emergency services spokesman in Buner, Mohammad Sohail, said more than half of the damaged roads in the district have been reopened, allowing vehicles and heavy machinery to reach isolated villages.
Crews are clearing piles of rocks and mud dumped by the floods. They were using heavy machinery on Sunday to remove the rubble of collapsed homes after families reported that some of their relatives were missing.
In one of the deadliest incidents, 24 people from one family died in the village of Qadar Nagar when floodwaters swept through their home on the eve of a wedding.
The head of the family, Umar Khan, said he survived the floods because he was out of the house at the time. Four of his relatives have yet to be found, he added.
Provincial chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur visited Buner on Saturday and announced that families of the dead will receive payments of two million rupees (£5,300) each.
He said tents, food, and clean drinking water are being provided to prevent outbreaks of waterborne diseases.
According to a government statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is monitoring the relief operations and has ordered faster distribution of aid, evacuation of stranded people, and intensified searches for the missing.
Pakistan's disaster management authority has warned of more deluges and possible landslides between August 17-19, urging local administrations to remain on alert.
Higher-than-normal monsoon rains have lashed the country since June 26 and killed more than 600.
Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate-induced disasters. In 2022, a record-breaking monsoon killed nearly 1,700 people and destroyed millions of homes.
The country also suffers regular flash floods and landslides during the monsoon season, which runs from June to September, particularly in the rugged northwest, where villages are often perched on steep slopes and riverbanks.
Experts say climate change is intensifying the frequency and severity of such extreme weather events in South Asia.
In Indian-controlled Kashmir, torrential rains triggered flash floods in two villages in Kathua district that killed at least seven people and injured five overnight, officials said. Rescue and relief operations are under way.
In Kishtwar district, teams are continuing their efforts in the remote village of Chositi, looking for dozens of missing people after the area was hit by flash floods three days earlier.
At least 60 were killed and some 150 injured, about 50 in critical condition, in the disaster.
Thursday's floods struck during an annual Hindu pilgrimage. Authorities rescued over 300 people, while some 4,000 pilgrims were evacuated to safety.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ITV News
5 minutes ago
- ITV News
What are cloudbursts? The extreme weather event causing deadly flash foods in India and Pakistan
Hundreds of people have died in India, Pakistan and Nepal after cloudbursts occurred, causing flash flooding with little warning. In northwestern Pakistan, as many as 300 people died in the district of Buner following a cloudburst. The strength and volume of rain triggered flash flooding, landslides, mudflows, and boulders to fall from steep slopes, flattening homes and reducing villages to rubble. Pakistani officials said a warning to allow evacuations was not possible, as the cloudburst struck before residents could be alerted. Another cloudburst in the Indian-administered region of Kashmir killed at least 60 people and left more than 200 missing. The flash floods struck on Thursday during an annual Hindu pilgrimage to the area, causing thousands to be evacuated. Since monsoons began in June, at least 41 people have died and another 121 people have been injured in Nepal. The northern Indian state of Uttarakhand had a cloudburst earlier this month. Extraordinary footage showed floodwaters surging down a mountain and crashing into a village. Four people died. But what are cloudbursts and why are they causing so much chaos in these countries? What is a cloudburst? A cloudburst occurs when a large volume of rain falls in a very short period of time, usually more than 10cm within an hour over a localised area, around 30 square kilometres. They are sudden and violent, dropping the equivalent of several hours of normal rainfall. The event is the bursting of a cloud and the discharge of its contents at the same time, like a rain bomb. The instantaneous falling of water can trigger deadly floods, as the area it lands on struggles to deal with the impact of so much water, so suddenly. Cloudbursts occur when warm, moist air rises rapidly and condenses into heavy rain clouds. Mountainous areas are more susceptible to forming cloudbursts, as air is forced to rise after encountering a hill or mountain. The rising air will cool and condense to form heavy rainclouds. The hills or mountains can act as barriers and trap clouds, preventing them from dispersing or moving easily. Strong upward currents keep moisture suspended inside the clouds, preventing rainfall. When the clouds cannot hold the accumulated moisture anymore, they burst and release it all at once. Shocking footage shows the moment a cloudburst-induced flash flood surges down a mountain in Northern India, and crashes into a village in early August. Ellie Pitt reports. Why do they particularly affect India and Pakistan? Cloudbursts thrive in moisture, monsoons and mountains. Some regions of India and Pakistan have all three, making them particularly vulnerable to these extreme weather events. The Himalayas, Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountain ranges are home to the world's highest and most famous peaks, spanning multiple countries, including India and Pakistan. Global warming is making it worse. A warmer air mass can hold more moisture, creating the ideal conditions for sudden and intense downpours. Both India and Pakistan have seen cloudbursts happening more frequently. In 2013, 6,000 people died in Uttarakhand when a cloudburst struck, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters India has seen this century. Why were residents in Pakistan not warned? It's difficult to predict cloudbursts because of their size, duration, suddenness and complex atmospheric mechanisms. A Pakistani official said there was "no forecasting system anywhere in the world" that could predict the exact time and location of a cloudburst. The Pakistani government said that while an early warning system was in place, the downpour was so sudden that it struck before residents could be alerted. Precautions are possible. Residents in susceptible areas are advised not to build homes next to rivers and valleys, to postpone travel to hilly areas if rain is forecast, and to keep an emergency kit ready. Planting trees can also reduce surface runoff and enhance water absorption, alongside regular clearing and widening of riverbanks and drainage channels. How does climate change affect cloudbursts? Experts say cloudbursts have increased in frequency in recent years, partly due to climate change. The damage they wreak has also increased due to unplanned development in mountain areas. For every 1°C rise, the air can hold 7% more moisture, increasing the potential for heavy rainfall. The warming of the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea pushes more moisture into the atmosphere around Pakistan and India, while melting glaciers and snow alter local weather patterns, making rainfall events more erratic and extreme. Urbanisation in the form of deforestation and wetland loss reduces the land's ability to absorb water. "Rising global temperatures have supercharged the hydrologic cycle, leading to more intense and erratic rainfall,' said Khalid Khan, a former special secretary for climate change in Pakistan and chairman of climate initiative Planet Pulse. "In our northern regions, warming accelerates glacier melt, adds excessive moisture to the atmosphere, and destabilises mountain slopes."
The Independent
13 hours ago
- The Independent
The science behind the deadly cloudbursts causing chaos in India and Pakistan
Deadly cloudbursts are wreaking havoc across mountainous regions of India and Pakistan, with intense, sudden deluges proving fatal in both nations. These extreme weather events involve tremendous rainfall over concentrated areas in short periods. In Pakistan, a single cloudburst in the northwestern district of Buner claimed the lives of as many as 300 people. The sheer force of the deluge triggered flash flooding, landslides, and mudflows, with boulders crashing down steep slopes to flatten homes and reduce entire villages to rubble. In one of the deadliest incidents, 24 people from one family died in the village of Qadar Nagar when floodwaters swept through their home on the eve of a wedding. The head of the family, Umar Khan, said he survived the floods because he was out of the house at the time. Four of his relatives have yet to be found, he added. Neighbouring India has also been severely affected, with the northern state of Uttarakhand experiencing a cloudburst earlier this month. Local television footage depicted floodwaters surging down a mountain, engulfing the Himalayan village of Dharali. A map of Dharali: This follows a devastating 2013 cloudburst in the same state that resulted in over 6,000 fatalities and impacted 4,500 villages. Here's what to know about cloudbursts: A cloudburst occurs when a large volume of rain falls in a very short period, usually more than 100 millimeters (about 4 inches) within an hour over a localized area, around 30 square kilometers (11.6 square miles). Cloudbursts are sudden and violent, with devastating consequences and widespread destruction, and can be the equivalent of several hours of normal rainfall or longer. The event is the bursting of a cloud and the discharge of its contents at the same time, like a rain bomb. Several factors contribute to a cloudburst, including warm, moist air rising upward, high humidity, low pressure, instability and convective cloud formation. Moist air is forced to rise after encountering a hill or mountain. This rising air cools and condenses. Clouds that are large, dense and capable of heavy rainfall form. Hills or mountains act like barriers and often trap these clouds, so they cannot disperse or move easily. Strong upward currents keep moisture suspended inside the clouds, delaying rainfall. When the clouds cannot hold the accumulated moisture anymore, they burst and release it all at once. Why do cloudbursts happen in India and Pakistan? Cloudbursts thrive in moisture, monsoons and mountains. Regions of India and Pakistan have all three, making them vulnerable to these extreme weather events. The Himalayas, Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountain ranges are home to the world's highest and most famous peaks, spanning multiple countries including India and Pakistan. The frequency of cloudbursts in these two South Asian nations has been steadily rising due to a warming atmosphere, because a warmer air mass can hold more moisture, creating conditions for sudden and intense downpours. The South Asian region has traditionally had two monsoon seasons. One typically lasts from June to September, with rains moving southwest to northeast. The other, from roughly October to December, moves in the opposite direction. But with more planet-warming gases in the air, the rain now only loosely follows this pattern. This is because the warmer air can hold more moisture from the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean, and that rain then tends to get dumped all at once. It means the monsoon is punctuated with intense flooding and dry spells, rather than sustained rain throughout. The combination of moisture, mountains and monsoons force these moisture-laden winds upward, triggering sudden condensation and cloudbursts. Can you predict cloudbursts? It's difficult to predict cloudbursts because of their size, duration, suddenness and complex atmospheric mechanisms. Asfandyar Khan Khattak, a Pakistani official from the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said there was 'no forecasting system anywhere in the world' that could predict the exact time and location of a cloudburst. The Pakistani government said that while an early warning system was in place in Buner district, where hundreds of people died after a cloudburst, the downpour was so sudden and intense that it struck before residents could be alerted. Community organization SOST, which is also the name of a border village in Pakistan's northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, says precautions are possible. It advises people to avoid building homes right next to rivers and valleys, to postpone any travel to hilly areas if heavy rain is forecast, to keep an emergency kit ready, and to avoid traveling on mountainous roads during heavy rain or at night. It recommends afforestation to reduce surface runoff and enhance water absorption, and regular clearing and widening of riverbanks and drainage channels. Climate change is fueling their frequency Experts say cloudbursts have increased in recent years, partly due to climate change, while damage from associated storms has also increased due to unplanned development in mountain areas. Climate change has directly amplified the triggers of cloudbursts in Pakistan, especially. Every 1°C rise allows the air to hold about 7% more moisture, increasing the potential for heavy rainfall in short bursts. The warming of the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea pushes more moisture into the atmosphere. Melting glaciers and snow alter local weather patterns, making rainfall events more erratic and extreme. Environmental degradation, in the form of deforestation and wetland loss, reduces the land's ability to absorb water, magnifying flash floods. Climate change has been a central driver in the destruction seen in Pakistan's northern areas. 'Rising global temperatures have supercharged the hydrologic cycle, leading to more intense and erratic rainfall,' said Khalid Khan, a former special secretary for climate change in Pakistan and chairman of climate initiative PlanetPulse. 'In our northern regions, warming accelerates glacier melt, adds excessive moisture to the atmosphere, and destabilizes mountain slopes. In short, climate change is making rare events more frequent, and frequent events more destructive."
Glasgow Times
16 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Pakistan defends flood response after more than 270 people killed
Heavy rains and flooding also killed dozens of people in neighbouring Kashmir. Mohammad Suhail, a spokesman for Pakistan's emergency service, said 54 bodies were found in Buner, a mountainous area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where torrential rains and cloudbursts triggered massive flooding on Friday. Villagers collect items from the rubble of their partially damaged home in Pir Baba, an area of Buner district, in the north-west of Pakistan (Muhammad Sajjad/AP) Mr Suhail said villagers remained missing, and search efforts were focused on areas where homes were flattened by torrents of water that swept down from the mountains, carrying boulders that smashed into houses like explosions. Authorities have warned of more deluges and possible landslides between now and Tuesday, urging local administrations to remain on alert. Higher-than-normal monsoon rains have lashed the country since June 26 and killed more than 600. In India-administered Kashmir, located across Pakistan's north-eastern border, rains triggered more flash floods in two villages in the Kathua district, killing seven people, officials said on Sunday. Rescuers in Chositi village are still looking for dozens of missing people after the area was hit by flash floods last week during an annual Hindu pilgrimage. At least 60 people were killed, and some 150 injured. More than 300 others were rescued. Authorities have warned of more deluges and possible landslides (Muhammad Sajjad/AP) Residents in Buner have accused officials of failing to warn them to evacuate after torrential rain and cloudbursts triggered deadly flooding and landslides. There was no warning broadcast from mosque loudspeakers, a traditional method in remote areas. The government said that while an early warning system was in place, the sudden downpour in Buner was so intense that the deluge struck before residents could be alerted. Lieutenant General Inam Haider, chairman of the national disaster management authority, told a hastily convened news conference in Islamabad that Pakistan was experiencing shifting weather patterns because of climate change. Since the monsoon season began in June, Pakistan has already received 50% more rainfall than in the same period last year, he said. He warned that more intense weather could follow, with heavy rains forecast to continue this month. Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate-induced disasters (Muhammad Sajjad/AP) Some countries have reached out to Islamabad offering help, but Lt Gen Haider said Pakistan had sufficient resources and did not require foreign assistance at this time. Asfandyar Khan Khattak, director-general of the provincial disaster management authority, said there was 'no forecasting system anywhere in the world' that could predict the exact time and location of a cloudburst, a sudden and intense downpour. Idrees Mahsud, a disaster management official, said Pakistan's early warning system used satellite imagery and meteorological data to send alerts to local authorities. These were shared through the media and community leaders. An emergency services spokesman in Buner, Mohammad Sohail, said more than half the damaged roads in the district had reopened by Sunday, allowing vehicles and heavy machinery to reach cut-off villages. Crews were clearing piles of rocks and mud dumped by the floods. They were still using heavy machinery to remove the rubble of collapsed homes after families reported that some of their relatives were missing. Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate-induced disasters. Pakistan suffers regular flash floods and landslides during the monsoon season (Muhammad Sajjad/AP) In 2022, a record-breaking monsoon killed nearly 1,700 people and destroyed millions of homes. The country also suffers regular flash floods and landslides during the monsoon season, which runs from June to September, particularly in the rugged north-west of the country, where villages are often perched on steep slopes and riverbanks. Experts say climate change is intensifying the frequency and severity of such extreme weather events in South Asia. Khalid Khan, a weather expert, said Pakistan produced less than 1% of planet-warming emissions but faced heat waves, heavy rains, glacial outburst floods and now cloudbursts, underscoring how climate change was devastating communities within hours.
