Cloudbursts, flash floods in Himachal; 325 roads closed; very heavy rain warning in 3 districts
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First Post
33 minutes ago
- First Post
Flash floods in Pakistan kill over 320 as monsoon rains devastate north
At least 321 people have died in flash floods triggered by intense monsoon rains in northern Pakistan over the last 48 hours, with the majority of casualties reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Rescue efforts are being hampered by landslides, washed-out roads, and ongoing heavy rainfall, as officials declare several districts disaster-hit. In this photo released by Rescue 1122 Emergency Department, rescue workers and local residents gather at the site of a massive cloudburst led to flash flooding in Salarzai, Pakistan. AP Flash floods caused by intense monsoon rains in northern Pakistan killed at least 321 people in the last 48 hours, according to authorities on Saturday, and rescuers were having difficulty recovering remains from debris. According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, the majority of the deaths—307—were recorded in the hilly region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Most of the victims were killed by flash floods and collapsed buildings, including 15 women and 13 children. There were at least 23 additional injuries. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD About 2,000 rescue personnel were working to remove remains from the rubble and conduct relief operations in nine affected regions, where rain was still impeding efforts, the provincial rescue agency told AFP. 'Heavy rainfall, landslides in several areas, and washed-out roads are causing significant challenges in delivering aid, particularly in transporting heavy machinery and ambulances,' Bilal Ahmed Faizi, spokesman for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's rescue agency, told AFP. 'Due to road closures in most areas, rescue workers are travelling on foot to conduct operations in remote regions,' he added. 'They are trying to evacuate survivors, but very few people are relocating due to the deaths of their relatives or loved ones being trapped in the debris.' The provincial government has declared the severely affected mountainous districts of Buner, Bajaur, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra and Battagram as disaster-hit areas. The meteorological department has issued a heavy rain alert for Pakistan's northwest for the next few hours, urging people to take 'precautionary measures'. Nine more people were killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, while five died in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, the national disaster authority said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Another five people, including two pilots, were killed when a local government helicopter crashed due to bad weather during a relief mission on Friday. 'Doomsday' monsoon The monsoon season brings South Asia about three-quarters of its annual rainfall, vital for agriculture and food security, but it also brings destruction. Landslides and flash floods are common during the season, which usually begins in June and eases by the end of September. Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah, a representative of the national disaster agency, told AFP that this year's monsoon season began earlier than usual and was expected to end later. 'The next 15 days… the intensity of the monsoon will further exacerbate,' he said. One resident likened the disaster to 'doomsday'. 'I heard a loud noise as if the mountain was sliding. I rushed outside and saw the entire area shaking, like it was the end of the world,' Azizullah, a resident of Buner district, where there have been dozens of deaths and injuries, told AFP. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I thought it was doomsday,' he said. 'The ground was trembling due to the force of the water, and it felt like death was staring me in the face.' In Bajaur, a tribal district abutting Afghanistan, a crowd gathered around an excavator digging through a mud-soaked hill. On Friday, funeral prayers began in a paddock nearby, with people grieving in front of several bodies covered by blankets. The torrential rains that have pounded Pakistan since the start of the summer monsoon, described as 'unusual' by authorities, have killed more than 600 people. In July, Punjab, home to nearly half of Pakistan's 255 million people, recorded 73 percent more rainfall than the previous year and more deaths than in the entire previous monsoon. Pakistan is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, and its population is contending with extreme weather events with increasing frequency. Monsoon floods in 2022 submerged a third of the country and killed around 1,700 people. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Another villager in Buner told AFP locals kept on searching through the rubble throughout the night. 'The entire area is reeling from profound trauma,' 32-year-old local schoolteacher Saifullah Khan told AFP. 'We still have no clear idea who in this small village is alive and who is dead,' he added. 'I help retrieve the bodies of the children I taught, I keep wondering what kind of trial nature has imposed on these kids.'
The Hindu
33 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Flash flood threat in Telangana's Adilabad and Nirmal districts valid till 5.30 p.m. August 16
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a flash flood guidance bulletin indicating a low to moderate threat of flash floods in Adilabad and Nirmal districts of Telangana over the next few hours on Saturday (August 15, 2025). According to the bulletin released by the Meteorological Centre, Hyderabad, in the afternoon, intense rainfall activity linked to a low-pressure system over south Chhattisgarh and its adjoining areas has significantly increased the risk of surface runoff and inundation in fully saturated soils and low-lying regions. The bulletin remains valid till 5.30 p.m. The IMD has clarified that the bulletin is only a guidance document and not a direct flash flood warning. Residents in vulnerable areas have been advised to remain alert to the possibility of waterlogging and sudden flooding due to continuous rainfall.
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Business Standard
33 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Heavy rains hit Mumbai; low-lying areas flooded, local trains disrupted
Heavy downpour pummelled Mumbai and its suburbs, with some parts recording more than 200 mm rainfall in the wee hours of Saturday, inundating low-lying areas and affecting the movement of local trains. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall in the metropolis for two days. Incessant rain continued to lash parts of the city in the morning with occasional heavy spells. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has appealed to citizens not to step out unnecessarily. Two people were killed and as many others sustained injuries in a landslide amid rains in the Vikhroli Parksite area in the eastern suburbs. The downpour began around 1 am and continued into the early hours of the day, causing waterlogging in low-lying areas of the western and eastern suburbs, including Vikhroli, Ghatkopar, Bhandup, Chunabhatti, Aarey, Andheri, Kings Circle, Malad, and Goregaon, among others. The suburban train services were also severely affected due to waterlogging on tracks at several locations on the Central and Western Railway lines. On the Central Railway line, tracks were submerged at Matunga, Sion, Kurla, Vidyavihar, Ghatkopar, and Bhandup on the main line, and Wadala, Chunabhatti, Tilak Nagar and Kurla on the Harbour Line. Passengers have complained that Harbour Line services continue to be badly affected. Tracks were also inundated on the stretch between Dadar and Mahim stations on the Western Railway. "The water receded around 8 am and the train traffic slowly returned to normalcy," said Swapnil Nila, chief public relations officer of Central Railway, adding that the trains were running 15-20 minutes late around 11.30 am. A spokesperson from Western Railway said that suburban services on the network were running about 15 minutes late. According to railway officials, most government and private officers and establishments in the city have declared a holiday for the Dahi Handi festivities, and the suburban services were not crowded. A spokesperson from the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) said that bus operations were also affected, as several buses were diverted from waterlogged areas in Sion, Kings Circle, Aarey Colony, and Malad Subway, among others. Civic officials said pumping operations were underway in multiple areas, and response teams had been deployed to address complaints of waterlogging and tree falls. Municipal Commissioner and administrator Bhushan Gagrani visited the disaster management emergency control room at the civic headquarters and gave necessary instructions to officials, a BMC spokesperson said. According to the IMD, several parts of Mumbai recorded more than 200 mm of rainfall between 8.30 am on Friday and 5.30 am on Saturday. Vikhroli, in the eastern suburbs, recorded the highest rainfall at 248.5 mm, followed by Santacruz with 232.5 mm, Sion with 221 mm, and Juhu with 208 mm. The intensity of rainfall was higher in the suburbs compared to south Mumbai, where Colaba recorded just 70 mm of rainfall during this period. The IMD had on Friday issued an orange alert for Mumbai for two days, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall. However, the department updated it to a red alert in the wee hours of Saturday. "Warnings are updated as early strengthening of synoptic situations," said Shubhangi Bhute, an IMD official, adding that in the coming days, the entire west coast is likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy spells. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
