Pakistan flash floods: Helicopter carrying aid crashes, over 300 dead in two days - What we know so far
'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, as reported by AFP. 'Five crew members, including two pilots, were killed.'
The death toll from heavy monsoon rains that have triggered flash floods across northern Pakistan has risen to at least 321 people in the last 48 hours, disaster agencies said Saturday, AFP reported.
The majority of deaths, 307, were reported in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said.
The meteorological department has issued a heavy rain alert for Pakistan's northwest for the next few hours, urging people to take "precautionary measures".
The provincial government has declared the severely affected mountainous districts of Buner, Bajaur, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra and Battagram disaster-hit areas.
Meanwhile, the provincial rescue agency told AFP 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, told AFP.
The monsoon season, crucial for agriculture and food security across South Asia, delivers about 75% of the region's annual rainfall, but it also brings widespread destruction, including landslides and flash floods.
Five crew members, including two pilots, were killed.
Typically beginning in June and tapering off by late September, this year's monsoon arrived earlier than usual and is expected to linger longer, according to Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah, a representative from Pakistan's national disaster agency, AFP reported. Residents recover belongings from the remains of a damaged home after a cloudburst triggered heavy rains and flooding in Naryan Behak village on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani-occupied Kashmir, August 15, 2025. REUTERS/Naseer ud Din
Pakistan, considered one of the world's most climate-vulnerable countries, is increasingly grappling with extreme weather events driven by climate change. The 'unusual' torrential rains that have battered the country since the start of the summer monsoon have already claimed the lives of over 500 people, including 159 children.
Key Takeaways The monsoon season, while vital for agriculture, can lead to severe natural disasters.
Rescue operations are critically hampered by infrastructure damage and extreme weather conditions.
The increasing frequency of such disasters underscores the urgent need for climate change mitigation strategies.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
5 hours ago
- Economic Times
More than 300 people dead in Pakistan after heavy rains, floods
Heavy rains caused flash floods in northwest Pakistan. Over 300 people died in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Many are still missing. Homes collapsed, and villages were swept away. Rescue operations are underway. The government is providing aid. Climate change and construction near waterways worsened the impact. Extreme weather events are increasing in Pakistan. Neighbouring India and Nepal also faced heavy rains. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads More than 300 people are dead in northwest Pakistan after two days of heavy rains and flash floods, local officials said on deluge hit the remote mountainous northern part of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, with cloud bursts, flash floods, lightning strikes and landslides in the deadliest downpour of this year's monsoon Saturday, 307 were confirmed dead, with more people missing, according to the Provincial Disaster Management of neighbouring India and Nepal have also been hit hard by heavy rains, flooding and other rain-related incidents over the past Bajaur district, close to the Afghan border, Saeedullah was asleep in the yard of his home on Thursday night when he was woken by loud rushed to his house where his family were sleeping to find the roof had collapsed. Helped by neighbours, he dug through the debris and found the bodies of his wife and five said he suspected the house was hit by lightning, with parts of it on fire before the rain came down. He said he buried his family on Friday, with the help of the community."There is destruction everywhere, piles of rubble," Saeedullah, 42, Faizi, a spokesperson for the country's official 1122 rescue service, said that he expected the death toll to climb as more bodies are recovered from under the debris of district, north of Pakistan's capital Islamabad, was the worst-hit, with 184 confirmed killed so said there was a cloud burst in Buner early on Friday creating a torrent of water that swept down to the villages below. "There was no time for anyone to react," Faizi Hussain, 62, a resident of Beshonrai village, in Buner, said that more than 60 people had lost their lives in his village and more than 20 were said he told his family to flee when he noticed water rising quickly in a stream near his house that swept towards his front of his nephews got trapped and broke his leg as the waters rose. Hussain rescued him and took him to a hospital in Buner."The floodwater washed away our house in front of our eyes," Hussain told Reuters from the hospital. "Within minutes, we were made homeless."More than 30 homes in the village were swept 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 Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah said that local officials had been dispatched to the flooded areas to supervise relief operations and assess the said medical camps were being set up for the flood victims, along with arrangements to provide food for families who lost their Friday, a rescue helicopter crashed, due to bad weather, killing the five crew Babar, Pakistan's chief meteorologist, said the country has seen an increase in the frequency and destructiveness of extreme weather said heavy rainfall in the mountains meant people in lower-lying areas were not aware of the strength of the downpour until it reached them as a flash change was one factor, he said, but it was made worse by homes being built next to rivers and streams, while some waterways were constricted by construction activity and garbage dumping, making it harder for the rainfall to disperse.
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
More than 300 people dead in Pakistan after heavy rains, floods
More than 300 people are dead in northwest Pakistan after two days of heavy rains and flash floods, local officials said on Saturday. The deluge hit the remote mountainous northern part of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, with cloud bursts, flash floods, lightning strikes and landslides in the deadliest downpour of this year's monsoon season. By Saturday, 307 were confirmed dead, with more people missing, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority. Parts of neighbouring India and Nepal have also been hit hard by heavy rains, flooding and other rain-related incidents over the past week. In Bajaur district, close to the Afghan border, Saeedullah was asleep in the yard of his home on Thursday night when he was woken by loud thunder. Live Events He rushed to his house where his family were sleeping to find the roof had collapsed. Helped by neighbours, he dug through the debris and found the bodies of his wife and five children. He said he suspected the house was hit by lightning, with parts of it on fire before the rain came down. He said he buried his family on Friday, with the help of the community. "There is destruction everywhere, piles of rubble," Saeedullah, 42, said. Bilal Faizi, a spokesperson for the country's official 1122 rescue service, said that he expected the death toll to climb as more bodies are recovered from under the debris of homes. Buner district, north of Pakistan's capital Islamabad, was the worst-hit, with 184 confirmed killed so far. Faizi said there was a cloud burst in Buner early on Friday creating a torrent of water that swept down to the villages below. "There was no time for anyone to react," Faizi said. Zahid Hussain, 62, a resident of Beshonrai village, in Buner, said that more than 60 people had lost their lives in his village and more than 20 were missing. He said he told his family to flee when he noticed water rising quickly in a stream near his house that swept towards his front door. One of his nephews got trapped and broke his leg as the waters rose. Hussain rescued him and took him to a hospital in Buner. "The floodwater washed away our house in front of our eyes," Hussain told Reuters from the hospital. "Within minutes, we were made homeless." More than 30 homes in the village were swept away. 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. Provincial Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah said that local officials had been dispatched to the flooded areas to supervise relief operations and assess the damage. He said medical camps were being set up for the flood victims, along with arrangements to provide food for families who lost their homes. On Friday, a rescue helicopter crashed, due to bad weather, killing the five crew members. Zaheer Babar, Pakistan's chief meteorologist, said the country has seen an increase in the frequency and destructiveness of extreme weather events. He said heavy rainfall in the mountains meant people in lower-lying areas were not aware of the strength of the downpour until it reached them as a flash flood. Climate change was one factor, he said, but it was made worse by homes being built next to rivers and streams, while some waterways were constricted by construction activity and garbage dumping, making it harder for the rainfall to disperse.
NDTV
6 hours ago
- NDTV
At Least 320 Killed In Pakistan Due To Monsoon In Last 48 Hours
Rescuers were struggling to retrieve bodies from debris after flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains across northern Pakistan killed at least 321 people in the past 48 hours, authorities said on Saturday. The majority of deaths, 307, were reported in mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said. Most were killed in flash floods and collapsing houses, with the dead including 15 women and 13 children. At least 23 others were injured. One resident told AFP it felt like "the end of the world" was coming, as the ground shook with the force of the water. The provincial rescue agency told AFP that around 2,000 rescue workers were engaged in recovering bodies from the debris and carrying out relief operations in nine affected districts where rain was still hampering efforts. "Heavy rainfall, landslides in several areas, and washed-out roads are causing significant challenges in delivering aid, particularly in transporting heavy machinery and ambulances," said Bilal Ahmed Faizi, spokesman for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's rescue agency. "Due to road closures in most areas, rescue workers are travelling on foot to conduct operations in remote regions," he told AFP. "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. Another five people, including two pilots, were killed when a local government helicopter crashed due to bad weather during a relief mission on Friday. 'Reeling From Profound Trauma' 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. In Buner district, where there have been dozens of deaths and injuries, resident Azizullah said he "thought it was 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," he told AFP. "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. In the picturesque district of Swat, an AFP photographer saw roads submerged in muddy water, electricity poles grounded, and vehicles half-buried in mud. 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. Another villager in Buner told AFP residents kept on searching through the rubble overnight. "The entire area is reeling from profound trauma," said 32-year-old schoolteacher Saifullah Khan. "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." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
