Five crew dead after helicopter crash in Pakistan
"An MI-17 helicopter of the provincial government, carrying relief goods for rain-affected areas of Bajaur, crashed in the Pandiyali area of Mohmand district due to bad weather," Ali Amin Gandapur said in a statement.
"Five crew members, including two pilots, were killed."
Eight people have been killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, where evacuation operations are happening for stranded domestic tourists.
Hundreds remain missing in Indian-Kashmir a day after sudden floods triggered by heavy rains killed at least 60 people.
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ABC News
4 days ago
- ABC News
Rescuers recover bodies after monsoon rain kills hundreds in north-west Pakistan
More than 300 people are dead in north-west Pakistan after two days of intense rain and floods, local officials said on Saturday. Warning: This story contains graphic details and imagery. Rescuers struggled to retrieve bodies from muddy debris on Saturday local time after flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains across the region. One resident told AFP it felt like "the end of the world" as the ground shook with the force of the water. The majority of deaths were reported in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the National Disaster Management Authority said. Most were killed in flash floods and collapsing houses, while at least 137 others were injured. Rescue efforts and clearing of blocked roads were ongoing with the release of emergency funds, the disaster authority said, adding that the heavy rains would continue until August 21. Bilal Ahmed Faizi, spokesman for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's rescue agency said there are "significant challenges in delivering aid" and recovering bodies. Cloud bursts, flash floods, lightning strikes, landslides, and the collapse of buildings caused the most deadly spell of this year's monsoon season. The national disaster agency's Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah told AFP that this year's monsoon season began earlier than usual and was expected to end later. In Buner district, where there have been dozens of deaths and injuries, resident Azizullah said he "heard a loud noise as if the mountain was sliding". Another villager in Buner said residents kept on searching through the rubble overnight and "the entire area is reeling from profound trauma". Others cleared heavy rocks with their hands and with shovels. "People are still lying under the debris. Those who were swept away are being searched for downstream," said resident Abdul Khan. Not only Pakistan but also parts of neighbouring India and Nepal have been hit hard by heavy rains, flooding, and other rain-related incidents over the past week. Buner district, a three-and-a-half-hour drive north from Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, in normal times, was among the country's worst-hit, with 184 killed and widespread damage to infrastructure, crops, and orchards, local officials said. A cloud burst, fallen trees, and flash floods swept away people and possessions. People, including women and children, remained trapped by floodwaters in some areas of Buner, with 93 bodies recovered. In another area, Shangla, the collapse of the roof of a building due to the downpour caused many of the 34 deaths, said the provincial Chief Secretary, Shahab Ali Shah. He said that local officials had been dispatched to the flooded areas to supervise relief operations and assess the damage. Medical camps, he said, were being established for the flood victims, along with arrangements for families who lost their homes to be provided with cooked meals. Shah said that heavy machinery would be deployed to clear and restore roads. Ishaq Dar, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister, said that civilian and military teams were carrying out rescue and relief operations, while the prime minister had chaired an emergency meeting. "Our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones, to those who are injured, and many whose homes and livelihoods have been swept away," Mr Dar said in a statement on social media. On Friday, a rescue helicopter crashed due to bad weather, killing its five crew members. Reuters/AFP
ABC News
5 days ago
- ABC News
More than 300 people dead in Pakistan after heavy rains, floods
More than 300 people are dead in north-west Pakistan after two days of intense rains and floods, local officials said on Saturday. Rescue efforts and clearing of blocked roads were ongoing with the release of emergency funds, they said, adding that the heavy rains would continue until August 21. Cloud bursts, flash floods, lightning strikes, landslides, and the collapse of buildings caused the most deadly spell of this year's monsoon season. By early Saturday, 307 people were confirmed dead, with more missing, in the hills and mountains of the region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority. Not only Pakistan but also parts of neighbouring India and Nepal have been hit hard by heavy rains, flooding, and other rain-related incidents over the past week. Buner district, a three-and-a-half-hour drive north from Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, in normal times, was among the country's worst-hit, with 184 killed and widespread damage to infrastructure, crops, and orchards, local officials said. A cloud burst, fallen trees, and flash floods swept away people and possessions. People, including women and children, remained trapped by floodwaters in some areas of Buner, with 93 bodies recovered. In another area, Shangla, the collapse of the roof of a building due to the downpour caused many of the 34 deaths, said the provincial Chief Secretary, Shahab Ali Shah. He said that local officials had been dispatched to the flooded areas to supervise relief operations and assess the damage. Medical camps, he said, were being established for the flood victims, along with arrangements for families who lost their homes to be provided with cooked meals. Shah said that heavy machinery would be deployed to clear and restore roads. Ishaq Dar, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister, said that civilian and military teams were carrying out rescue and relief operations, while the prime minister had chaired an emergency meeting. "Our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones, to those who are injured, and many whose homes and livelihoods have been swept away," Mr Dar said in a statement on social media. On Friday, a rescue helicopter crashed due to bad weather, killing its five crew members. Reuters
SBS Australia
5 days ago
- SBS Australia
Over 320 killed in monsoon rains in Pakistan
The death toll from heavy monsoon rains that have triggered flash floods across northern Pakistan has risen to at least 320 people in the past 48 hours, according to disaster agencies. The majority of the deaths were recorded in mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. First responders have been trying to recover bodies in the worst-hit villages of Pir Baba and Malik Pura, where most people died on Friday, according to Kashif Qayyum, a deputy commissioner in Bunar. Mohammad Khan, a Pir Baba resident, said people had no time to escape. "We do not know from where the floodwater came, but it came so fast that many could not leave their homes," he said. Nine more people were killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, while five died in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region. Most were killed in flash floods and collapsing houses, while 21 others were injured. The meteorological department has issued a heavy rain alert for Pakistan's northwest, urging people to take "precautionary measures". Meanwhile, the provincial rescue agency said that around 2,000 rescue workers were engaged in recovering bodies from the debris and carrying out relief operations in nine affected districts. "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 said. "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." Such cloudbursts are increasingly common in India's Himalayan regions and Pakistan's northern areas, and experts have said climate change is a contributing factor. Pakistani officials said rescuers since Thursday have evacuated more than 3,500 tourists trapped in flood-hit areas across the country. Many tourists have ignored government warnings that urged people to avoid flood-hit regions in the northern and northwestern regions, fearing more landslides and flash floods. In 2022, Pakistan witnessed the worst monsoon season that killed more than 1,700 people and caused an estimated $61 billion in damage.
