Floods in Pakistan wash away homes and leave at least 220 dead
Hundreds of rescue workers are still searching for survivors in Buner, a mountainous district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where torrential rains and cloudbursts triggered massive flooding on Friday, said Mohammad Suhail, a spokesman for the emergency services. Dozens of homes were swept away.
According to the provincial disaster management authority, at least 351 people have died in rain-related incidents this week across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan.
In recent days, floods in Indian-controlled Kashmir have taken dozens of lives, and driven hundreds from their homes there and in Pakistan.
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.
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Chicago Tribune
8 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Pakistan's monsoon flooding death toll rises to 220 as forecasters warn of more rain to come
BUNER, Pakistan — Flooding in a northwest Pakistani district has killed at least 220 people, officials said Saturday, as rescuers pulled 63 more bodies overnight from homes flattened by flash floods and landslides, with forecasts of more rain in the coming days. One eyewitness, who escaped the deluges in Buner, described seeing floodwaters carrying hundreds of boulders and 'tons of rocks' crashing down. Hundreds of rescue workers are still searching for survivors in Buner, one of several places in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where torrential rains and cloudbursts caused massive flooding on Friday, said Mohammad Suhail, a spokesman for the emergency services. Dozens of homes were swept away. First responders have been trying to recover bodies from the worst-hit villages of Pir Baba and Malik Pura, where most of the fatalities were, said Kashif Qayyum, a deputy commissioner in Buner. Local police officer Imtiaz Khan, who narrowly escaped the deluges, said floodwaters carrying hundreds of boulders struck and flattened homes within minutes. 'A stream near Pir Baba village in Buner swelled without warning. At first, we thought it was a normal flash flood, but when tons of rocks came crashing down with the water, 60 to 70 houses were swept away in moments,' Khan told The Associated Press, adding that many bodies were left mutilated. 'Our police station was washed away too and if we hadn't climbed to higher ground, we would not have survived,' Khan said. Pakistan's Meteorological Department predicted torrential rains in the coming days and warned that monsoon activity was likely to intensify from Sunday onwards, including in the north and northwest. Rescuers said they saw large swathes of Pir Baba village destroyed, wrecked homes, and giant rocks filling the streets as the water started to recede. 'It was not just the floodwater, it was a flood of boulders as well, which we saw for the first time in our lives,' said Sultan Syed, 45, who suffered a broken arm. Mohammad Khan, 53, said the floods 'came so fast that many could not leave their homes.' Most victims died before reaching the hospital, said Mohammad Tariq, a doctor in Buner. 'Many among the dead were children and men, while women were away in the hills collecting firewood and grazing cattle.' Pakistani leaders, including the prime minister and president, offered their condolences to the families of the dead and said they were praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. The chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, said efforts were underway to repair roads and other damaged infrastructure. Pakistan has received higher-than-normal monsoon rainfall this year, which experts link to climate change, triggering floods and mudslides that have killed some 541 people since June 26, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. Mourners attended mass funerals on Saturday, while authorities supplied tents and food to people in Buner. Local cleric Mufti Fazal had led funeral prayers at multiple locations since Friday morning. 'Before yesterday's floods, the area was bustling with life. Now, there is grief and sorrow everywhere.' Schoolteacher Suleman Khan lost 25 members of his extended family. He and his brother survived only because they were away from home when the floods hit his village Qadar Nagar. In Pir Baba, mourners laid out the covered bodies of their loved ones on wooden bedframes or bore them aloft ahead of burials. In a hospital, paramedics placed blocks of ice next to the deceased or comforted the injured. According to the provincial disaster management authority, at least 351 people have died in rain-related incidents this week across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan. In India-controlled Kashmir, rescuers scoured the remote village of Chositi in the district of Kishtwar on Saturday, looking for dozens of missing people after it was hit by flash floods two days earlier, killing 60 and injuring some 150, about 50 in critical condition. Thursday's floods struck during an annual Hindu pilgrimage in the area. Authorities have rescued over 300 people, while some 4,000 pilgrims have been evacuated to safety. 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 travelers have ignored government warnings about avoiding vulnerable regions in the north and northwest. Pakistan witnessed its worst-ever monsoon season in 2022. It killed more than 1,700 people and caused an estimated $40 billion in damage.
Newsweek
13 hours ago
- Newsweek
Deadly Wildfires Engulf Europe, Killing at Least Four
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Dozens of wildfires raging across southern Europe, fueled by high temperatures, droughts, and dry fuels, have killed at least three people in Spain and one in Portugal. Newsweek has reached out to Portugal's National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority and the European Forest Fire Information System for comment via email on Saturday. Why It Matters The fires come amid record-high temperatures in the region, with dry landscapes and materials further fueling fires from Greece to Portugal, marking one of the region's worst fire seasons on record. The European Union (EU) has sent firefighting planes to help battle the blazes, with five countries having requested assistance. Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate from their homes across the region, and around 100 have been injured across countries. What To Know Spain has been hit particularly hard, with more than 14 major fires, General Director of Emergency Services Virginia Barcones told the Associated Press. Wildfires have disrupted mass transit, forcing highway closures and suspending high-speed rail service. So far this year, more than 390,000 acres have burned in the country, according to the European Forest Fire Information System. Earlier this week, Spain confirmed a third death from the wildfires, a volunteer firefighter who sustained severe burns. Spain has arrested several people on suspicion of arson. In neighboring Portugal, nearly 4,000 firefighters have battled at least seven major blazes, according to the AP. The country is currently under a state of alert until late Sunday night. The former mayor of Vila Franca do Deão, Carlos Damaso, "was killed in a fire he was fighting in his parish," Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the president of Portugal, wrote in Portuguese in a press release Friday. Burning trees are pictured during a wildfire in Carcastillo, northern Spain on August 10. Burning trees are pictured during a wildfire in Carcastillo, northern Spain on August 10. Eduardo Sanz/Europa Press via AP What People Are Saying AccuWeather wrote in an August 14 X post: "Europe is facing its worst wildfire season on record as deadly wildfires rage across France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Albania. More than 2.4 million acres have burned across Europe." Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote in a Saturday X post: "All my encouragement and strength to the four injured members of @UMEgob in the Yeres fire, in León, and to their families. I thank them for their effort and dedication and hope they recover soon." The Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) wrote in a Friday X post: "This Friday, very high or extreme fire danger in most of the country. The danger will remain at very high or extreme levels during the weekend and Monday, days when the heatwave affecting us since the beginning of the month continues." 🔥 Este viernes, peligro de incendios muy alto o extremo en la mayor parte del país. El peligro seguirá en niveles muy altos o extremos durante el fin de semana y el lunes, días en los que continúa ola de calor que nos afecta desde comienzos de — AEMET (@AEMET_Esp) August 15, 2025 The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction wrote in an X post: "Europe is experiencing a devastating wildfire season – wreaking havoc on landscapes, cities, and communities." What Happens Next? High temperatures are expected to continue throughout the weekend into Monday.
New York Post
16 hours ago
- New York Post
220 killed in Pakistan floods, more bodies pulled from landslides
BUNER, Pakistan (AP) — Flooding in a northwest Pakistani district has killed at least 220 people, officials said Saturday, as rescuers pulled 63 more bodies overnight from homes flattened by flash floods and landslides. One eyewitness, who escaped the deluges in Buner, described seeing floodwaters carrying hundreds of boulders and 'tons of rocks' crashing down. Pakistan has received higher-than-normal monsoon rainfall this year, which experts link to climate change, triggering floods and mudslides that have killed some 541 people since June 26, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. 5 People arrange cots with the bodies of victims as they prepare for their funeral following heavy rain and floods in Pakistan. REUTERS 5 Damaged houses in Buner district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan REUTERS Hundreds of rescue workers are still searching for survivors in Buner, one of several places in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where torrential rains and cloudbursts caused massive flooding on Friday, said Mohammad Suhail, a spokesman for the emergency services. Dozens of homes were swept away. First responders have been trying to recover bodies from the worst-hit villages of Pir Baba and Malik Pura, where most of the fatalities were, said Kashif Qayyum, a deputy commissioner in Buner. Local police officer Imtiaz Khan, who narrowly escaped the deluges, said floodwaters carrying hundreds of boulders struck and flattened homes within minutes. 'A stream near Pir Baba village in Buner swelled without warning. At first, we thought it was a normal flash flood, but when tons of rocks came crashing down with the water, 60 to 70 houses were swept away in moments,' Khan told The Associated Press, adding that many bodies were left mutilated. 'Our police station was washed away too and if we hadn't climbed to higher ground, we would not have survived.' Rescuers said they saw large swathes of Pir Baba village destroyed, wrecked homes, and giant rocks filling the streets as the water started to recede. 5 Mourners attended mass funerals after the floods, while authorities supplied resources to flood-affected people in Buner. AP 'It was not just the floodwater, it was a flood of boulders as well, which we saw for the first time in our lives,' said Sultan Syed, 45, who suffered a broken arm. Mohammad Khan, 53, said the floods 'came so fast that many could not leave their homes.' Most victims died before reaching the hospital, said Mohammad Tariq, a doctor in Buner. 'Many among the dead were children and men, while women were away in the hills collecting firewood and grazing cattle,' he said. 5 A paramedic with an injured victim at a hospital in Pir Baba, an area of Buner district, in Pakistan's northwest. AP Mourners attended mass funerals on Saturday, while authorities supplied tents and food items to flood-affected people in Buner. Local cleric Mufti Fazal said he led funeral prayers at multiple locations since Friday morning. 'Before yesterday's floods, the area was bustling with life. Now, there is grief and sorrow everywhere.' Schoolteacher Suleman Khan lost 25 members of his extended family, saying he and his brother survived only because they were away from home when the floods hit his village Qadar Nagar. 5 'Before yesterday's floods, the area was bustling with life. Now, there is grief and sorrow everywhere,' local cleric Mufti Fazal said as he led funeral prayers at multiple locations since Friday. AP According to the provincial disaster management authority, at least 351 people have died in rain-related incidents this week across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan. Nearly 300 kilometers (about 186 miles) away in Indian-controlled Kashmir, rescuers scoured the remote village of Chositi in the district of Kishtwar on Saturday, looking for dozens of missing people after it was hit by flash floods two days ago, killing 60 and injuring some 150, about 50 in critical condition. Thursday's floods struck during an annual Hindu pilgrimage in the area. Authorities have rescued over 300 people, while some 4,000 pilgrims have been evacuated to safety. 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 travelers have ignored government warnings about avoiding vulnerable regions in the north and northwest. Pakistan witnessed its worst-ever monsoon season in 2022. It killed more than 1,700 people and caused an estimated $40 billion in damage.
