Pakistan expands rescue and relief efforts after floods kill over 200 in a single district
Buner, a mountainous district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, was struck by cloudbursts and torrential monsoon downpours on Friday, triggering flash floods and landslides.
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 2 million rupees ($7,200) 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 Aug. 17 and 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 underway.
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
Toronto Star
3 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Hurricane Erin forecast to create dangerous surf, winds along North Carolina's Outer Banks
MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Erin began pelting part of the Caribbean with rain and wind Monday before it's expected to churn up dangerous surf and rip currents along the U.S. East Coast this week. Evacuations were being ordered on a few islands along North Carolina's Outer Banks even though the storm is unlikely to make direct landfall. Authorities warned that some roads could be swamped by waves of 15 feet (4.6 meters).
Toronto Star
4 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Hurricane Erin forecast to create dangerous surf, high winds along US coast
MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Erin strengthened again Monday as it began pelting part of the Caribbean with rain and wind before it's expected to create dangerous surf and rip currents along the U.S. East Coast this week. The monster storm intensified to a Category 4 with 130 mph (215 kph) maximum sustained winds early Monday while it started to lash the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeast Bahamas, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Winnipeg Free Press
9 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Rescuers look for 150 people still missing in Pakistan's northwest following devastating floods
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Rescuers are looking for more than 150 people who were still missing on Monday in northwestern Pakistan, where scores died after the area was struck by a cloudburst. A senior politician blamed locals for the high death toll, saying people should have built their homes elsewhere. Search operations have been extended to remote areas to find residents swept away by floods that hit the mountainous district of Buner in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday, said emergency services spokesman Mohammad Suhail. The army has deployed engineers and heavy machinery to clear the rubble. The death toll in Buner reached 277 on Monday after rescuers recovered three bodies, Suhail said. Villagers have accused officials of not telling them to evacuate ahead of flooding and landslides. There was no warning broadcast from mosque loudspeakers, a traditional method for alerting emergencies in remote areas. However, the government insists that while an early warning system was in place, the sudden downpour was so intense that the deluge struck before residents could be informed. Provincial chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur said Sunday that many of the deaths could have been avoided had residents not built homes along waterways and riverbanks. He added that the government would encourage displaced families to relocate to safer areas, where they would be assisted in rebuilding their homes. Pakistan has seen higher-than-normal monsoon rains since June 26, killing at least 645 people across the country, with 400 deaths in the northwest. Wednesdays What's next in arts, life and pop culture. The National Disaster Management Authority issued an alert for further flooding after new rains began Sunday in many parts of the country. The U.N. humanitarian agency said it has mobilized groups in hard-hit areas, where damaged roads and communication lines have cut off communities. Relief agencies are providing food, water and other aid while preparing for longer-term recovery efforts. Flooding has also hit India-administered Kashmir, where at least 67 people were killed and dozens remain missing after flash floods swept through the region during an annual Hindu pilgrimage. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep sorrow on Sunday over the loss of life in Pakistan and India, while Pope Leo XIV offered condolences after praying the Angelus in Castel Gandolfo Pakistan remains highly vulnerable to climate-related disasters. In 2022, catastrophic floods linked to climate change killed nearly 1,700 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless.
