Nearly 200 people killed in Pakistan in heavy rains, flash floods
Most of the deaths, 180, were recorded in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwestern Pakistan, with another five killed in the northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan and nine in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, it said.
Earlier, the authority had said 78 people died in the flood-hit Buner district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The government said a helicopter on a rescue mission in the flood-hit province crashed due to the bad weather, killing the five crew members.
Reporting from Islamabad, Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder said the helicopter was a military aircraft.
'This was a Pakistani military helicopter that was involved in a rescue operation. Helicopters are being used to help people in areas that are hard to access,' he said.
Hundreds evacuated
Dozens of people were injured as the deluge destroyed homes in villages in Buner, where authorities declared a state of emergency on Friday.
Rescuers evacuated 1,300 stranded tourists from the mountainous Mansehra district, which was hit by landslides on Thursday. At least 35 people were reported missing in these areas, according to local officials.
Nine more people were killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir while five died in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, authorities said.
The Meteorological Department issued a heavy rain alert for the northwest, urging people to avoid 'unnecessary exposure to vulnerable areas'.
Floods in India-administered Kashmir
The annual monsoon season brings South Asia 70 to 80 percent of its annual rainfall, which is vital for agriculture and food security but also brings destruction.
Landslides and flash floods are common during the season, which usually begins in June and eases by the end of September.
In India-administered Kashmir, rescuers continued to search for survivors under boulders and debris on Friday, a day after sudden floods triggered by heavy rains killed at least 60 people and left 200 missing.
Gushing mudslides and floodwaters inundated the village of Chasoti on Thursday, washing away pilgrims who had gathered for lunch before trekking up a hill to a popular religious site in the second such disaster in the Himalayas in a little more than a week.
The Himalayas are prone to floods and landslides, but some scientists said the intensity and frequency of these events are increasing due to climate change.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
5 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
At least 337 killed in Pakistan floods, gov't defends emergency response
Climate change-induced flash floods have killed at least 337 people in northwestern Pakistan, according to the National Disaster Management Authority, while dozens remain missing after the area was hit by flash floods in recent days. In Kishtwar district, emergency teams continued rescue efforts on Sunday in the remote village of Chositi. At least 60 were killed and some 150 injured, about 50 of them critically. Mohammad Suhail, a spokesman for the emergency service, said 54 bodies were found after hours-long efforts in Buner, a mountainous district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where torrential rains and cloudbursts triggered massive flooding on Friday. Suhail said several villagers remained missing. Search efforts focused on areas where homes were flattened by torrents of water that swept down from the mountains, carrying massive boulders that smashed into houses like explosions. Cloudbursts also caused devastation in Indian-administered Kashmir. Flash floods were reported in two villages in the Kathua district, killing at least seven people and injuring five others overnight, officials said. 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. Government criticism Angry residents in Buner 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. Mohammad Iqbal, a schoolteacher in Pir Baba village, told the Associated Press that the lack of a timely warning system caused casualties and forced many to flee their homes at the last moment. 'Survivors escaped with nothing,' he said. 'If people had been informed earlier, lives could have been saved and residents could have moved to safer places.' 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 Malik, chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, told a 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 percent more rainfall than in the same period last year, he added. He warned that more intense weather could follow, with heavy rains forecast to continue this month. 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. 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. He said monsoon rains that once only swelled rivers now also triggered urban flooding. Pakistan 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. While Pakistan is estimated to produce less than one percent of planet-warming emissions, it faces heatwaves, heavy rains, glacial outburst floods, and cloudbursts that devastate local communities within hours.
Al Jazeera
8 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Flash flooding kills hundreds in northern Pakistan
Flash flooding kills hundreds in northern Pakistan NewsFeed More than 300 people have died in Pakistan after days of relentless monsoon rains triggered floods and landslides. Rescue efforts are still underway as thousands remain stranded, as homes, infrastructure, and livelihoods have been devastated. Video Duration 00 minutes 33 seconds 00:33 Video Duration 02 minutes 25 seconds 02:25 Video Duration 01 minutes 21 seconds 01:21 Video Duration 01 minutes 59 seconds 01:59 Video Duration 00 minutes 39 seconds 00:39 Video Duration 00 minutes 57 seconds 00:57 Video Duration 01 minutes 11 seconds 01:11
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Al Jazeera
Photos: Flash floods wreak havoc in northern Pakistan
Published On 16 Aug 2025 16 Aug 2025 Rescuers in northern Pakistan have pulled dozens of bodies overnight from homes ravaged by landslides and flash floods, taking the death toll to at least 321 in the past two days, according to disaster agencies. Hundreds of rescue workers continue to search for survivors in the Buner district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwest Pakistan after torrential rains and cloudbursts caused massive flooding on Friday, washing away dozens of homes, according to the provincial Disaster Management Authority. First responders are focusing recovery efforts in the villages of Pir Baba and Malik Pura, which suffered the highest casualties on Friday, according to Bunar deputy commissioner Kashif Qayyum. 'We do not know from where the floodwater came, but it came so fast that many could not leave their homes,' said Mohammad Khan, 53, a Pir Baba resident. Dr Mohammad Tariq at a Buner government hospital reported that most victims died before reaching medical care. 'Many among the dead were children and men, while women were away in the hills collecting firewood and grazing cattle,' he said. At least 307 casualties are from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Above-average rainfall in Pakistan, which experts attribute to climate change, has triggered floods and mudslides that have killed approximately 541 people since June 2, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. In neighbouring Indian-administered Kashmir, floods have killed dozens and displaced hundreds in recent days. Experts note that cloudbursts have become increasingly common in India's Himalayan regions and Pakistan's northern areas, with climate change being a significant contributing factor. Pakistani officials report that since Thursday, rescuers have evacuated more than 3,500 tourists stranded in flood-affected areas nationwide, though many tourists continue to ignore government warnings to avoid these regions despite the risk of additional landslides and flash floods. In 2022, Pakistan experienced its worst monsoon season on record, killing more than 1,700 people and causing approximately $40bn in damage.
