Pakistan monsoon fury: MI-17 helicopter carrying relief goods crashes, five crew on board killed
"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."
(This is a developing story. Keep checking for more updates)
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New Indian Express
2 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Over 150 people are still missing after devastating flooding in northwest Pakistan
PESHAWAR: Anguished Pakistanis searched remote areas for bodies swept away by weekend flash floods as the death toll reached 277 on Monday, while one official replied to the lack of evacuation warnings by saying people should have built homes elsewhere. A changing climate has made residents of northern Pakistan's river-carved mountainous areas more vulnerable to sudden, heavy rains. More than 150 people were still missing in the district of Buner in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after Friday's flash floods. Villagers have said there had been no warning broadcast from mosque loudspeakers, a traditional method for alerting emergencies in remote areas. The government has said the sudden downpour was so intense that the deluge struck before residents could be informed. Emergency services spokesman Mohammad Suhail said three bodies were found on Monday. The army has deployed engineers and heavy machinery to clear the rubble. On Sunday, provincial chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur said many deaths could have been avoided if residents had not built homes along waterways. He said the government would encourage displaced families to relocate to safer areas, where they would be assisted in rebuilding homes. Residents said they were not living near streams, yet the flood swept through their homes. In Buner's Malak Pur village, Ikram Ullah, aged 55, said people's ancestral homes were destroyed even though they were not near the stream, which emerged in the area because of the flood. He said large boulders rolled down from mountains with the flood. In flood-hit Pir Baba village, Shaukat Ali, 57, a shopkeeper whose grocery store was swept away, said his business was not near a river or stream but had stood for years alongside hundreds of other shops in the bazar. 'We feel hurt when someone says we suffered because of living along the waterways,' Ali told The Associated Press. Pakistan has seen higher-than-normal monsoon rains since June 26 that have killed at least 645 people across the country, with 400 deaths in the northwest. The National Disaster Management Authority issued an alert for further flooding after new rains began Sunday in many parts of the country. In a statement, the military said the Pakistan Air Force played a key role in flood relief operations by airlifting 48 tons of NGO-provided relief goods from the port of Karachi to Peshawar, the regional capital. It said the air force established an air bridge to ensure the swift delivery of supplies. On Monday, torrential rains triggered a flash flood that struck Darori village in northwestern Swabi district, killing 15 people, government official Awais Babar said. He said rescuers evacuated nearly 100 people, mostly women and children, who had taken refuge on the roofs of homes. Disaster management officials said the floods inundated streets in other districts in the northwest and in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting Monday to review relief efforts in flood-hit areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as northern Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. At the meeting, officials estimated flood-related damages to public and private property at more than 126 million rupees ($450,000), according to a government statement. The UN humanitarian agency said it had mobilized groups in hard-hit areas where damaged roads and communication lines have cut off communities. Relief agencies were providing food, water and other aid. 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 last week. In 2022, catastrophic floods linked to climate change killed nearly 1,700 people in Pakistan and left hundreds of thousands homeless.
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Pakistan: 657 dead, nearly 1,000 injured in monsoon havoc
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Business Standard
Pakistan floods: Over 300 dead, rescue ops on as rains wreck homes, roads
Villages are under water, roads cut off and homes destroyed in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while rescue teams work to save stranded families New Delhi The death toll from flash floods in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has risen to more than 300, news agency PTI reported. Torrential rains and sudden floods hit several districts on Friday, killing over 200 people in just one day. According to Faizi, spokesperson of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the rains, cloudbursts, and floods claimed lives in Bajaur, Buner, Swat, Mansehra, Shangla, Torghar, and Battagram districts. District-wise losses The PDMA reported that a total of 307 people have died so far. • Buner recorded the highest toll with 184 deaths • Shangla lost 36 people, Mansehra 23, Swat 22, Bajaur 21, and Battagram 15 • Lower Dir reported five deaths, while one child drowned in Abbottabad Officials warned that the number may rise further as many people are still missing, PTI reported. Monsoon havoc since June Heavy rains have battered Pakistan since late June, the start of the monsoon season. Floods, landslides, and displacement have hit the northern areas and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the hardest, particularly in vulnerable and densely populated regions. The floods destroyed roads, bridges, schools, homes, and power installations across several districts. According to PDMA, seven houses were completely destroyed and 38 damaged, mostly in Swat. Three schools were destroyed and another three damaged. Officials have warned that rainfall is expected to continue until August 21 in different parts of KP, Dawn reported. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government declared one day of mourning on Saturday for five army personnel who died when their Mi-17 helicopter crashed during a rescue mission. A notification said the national flag would be flown at half-mast across the province. Rescue efforts in full swing Rescue teams shifted more than 2,000 stranded people, including 300 children, to safety in Buner. Deputy Commissioner Kashif Qayyum said helicopters were being used to reach remote areas. He confirmed that Pir Baba Bazaar was submerged, a mosque in Gokand was destroyed, and many animals were swept away, news agency ANI reported. In Mansehra, police rescued seven tourists trapped near Simicsar Lake after heavy rain and landslides cut off the area. Authorities also banned visits to Siren Valley due to rising river levels. Pakistan floods: Travel disruptions Floods and landslides blocked several roads, including the Karakoram Highway in Upper Kohistan. Passengers travelling between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan were stranded. In Abbottabad, major roads were flooded, and traffic was paralysed for hours. Vehicles were swept away or damaged by debris and mud. In Lower Dir, more than 25 tourists were stranded in Shahi and later rescued by security forces and district authorities. Several link roads remained closed due to landslides, disrupting travel and even preventing candidates from reaching exam centres, Dawn reported. Power outages in Swat Floodwaters entered the 132kv grid station in Swat, cutting off 41 feeders and suspending electricity across the district. Poles and transformers were also washed away. The federal power minister directed the Peshawar Electric Supply Company to send extra staff, transformers, poles, and machinery to restore power supply quickly. (With agency inputs)
