Over 320 killed in Pakistan monsoon rains in past 48 hours: authorities
PESHAWAR, Pakistan: 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. The majority of deaths, 307, were reported in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said.
Nine more people were killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, while five died in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, it said.
People gather near a damaged vehicle and scattered debris after the road washed out following a flash flood in Mingora, the main city of Swat Valley, in monsoon-hit northern Pakistan's mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on August 16, 2025. 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 on August 16. — AFP
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 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.
"Due to road closures in most areas, rescue workers are traveling 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." — AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kuwait Times
3 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
Hopes for survivors wane after Pakistan flooding kills hundreds
BUNER, Pakistan: Pakistani rescuers dug homes out from under massive boulders on Sunday as they searched for survivors of flash floods that killed at least 344 people, with more than 150 still missing. Torrential rains across the country since Thursday have caused flooding, rising waters and landslides that have swept away entire villages and left many residents trapped in the rubble. Most of the deaths, 317, were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where monsoon rains that are only expected to intensify in the days ahead drove flooding and landslides that collapsed houses. 'We saw all the houses, buildings, and vehicles being swept away like pieces of wood. We managed to climb up the mountain, and when we looked down, our home was gone,' said Suleman Khan, a schoolteacher in Buner district who lost 25 relatives. More than 150 people are missing in Buner, where at least 208 people were killed and '10 to 12 entire villages' were partially buried, officials told AFP. 'They could be trapped under the rubble of their homes or swept away by floodwaters,' said Asfandyar Khattak, head of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Provincial Disaster Management Authority. 'Separately, in Shangla district, dozens of people are also reported missing,' Khattak added. The spokesman for the province's rescue agency told AFP that around 2,000 rescue workers were involved across nine districts, where rain was still hampering efforts. 'The operation to rescue people trapped under debris is ongoing,' said Bilal Ahmad Faizi. 'The chances of those buried under the debris surviving are very slim,' he added. AFP journalists in Buner saw half-buried vehicles and belongings lying strewn in the sludge, with mud covering houses and shops. After days without power, the electricity supply was restored on Sunday afternoon. A grave digger, Qaiser Ali Shah, told AFP he dug 29 burial places in the last two days. 'I have also dug six graves for children. With each grave, it felt as though I was digging it for my own child,' he said. 'For the first time, my body simply refused to carry me through. That's why today I apologized and said I cannot do this work anymore.' Flooded roads hampered the movement of rescue vehicles, as a few villagers worked to cut fallen trees to clear the way after the water receded. 'Our belongings are scattered, ruined and are in bad shape,' shopkeeper Noor Muhammad told AFP as he used a shovel to remove mud. 'The shops have been destroyed along with everything else. Even the little money people had has been washed away,' he added. The provincial government has declared the severely affected mountainous districts of Buner, Bajaur, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra and Battagram as disaster-hit areas. 'Every house in our area has been destroyed,' said Buner resident Bakht Rawan. 'Our loved ones are still buried under the mud, stones, and collapsed houses,' he told AFP. 'We appeal to the government to please send machinery to us.' Mass funerals On Saturday, hundreds gathered for mass funerals, where bodies wrapped in blood-stained white shawls were laid out on the village ground. Fallen trees and straw debris were scattered across nearby fields, while residents shovelled mud out of their homes. Pakistan's meteorological department has forecast 'torrential rains' with monsoon activity 'likely to intensify' from Sunday onwards. Iran said it stood ready to provide 'any cooperation and assistance aimed at alleviating the suffering' in neighbouring Pakistan, while Pope Leo XIV addressed the flooding with prayers 'for all those who suffer because of this calamity'. The monsoon season brings South Asia about three-quarters of its annual rainfall, vital for agriculture and food security, but also brings destruction. 'The intensity of this year's monsoon is around 50 to 60 percent more than last year,' said Lieutenant General Inam Haider, chairman of the national disaster agency. 'Two to three more monsoon spells are expected until the first weeks of September,' he told journalists in Islamabad. Landslides and flash floods are common during the season, which usually begins in June and eases by the end of September. The torrential rains that have pounded Pakistan since the start of the summer monsoon have killed more than 650 people, with more than 920 injured. Pakistan is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change and 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. — AFP
Kuwait Times
a day ago
- Kuwait Times
Flash floods kill 344 in Pakistan
Kuwait expresses solidarity with Pakistan over deadly floods PESHAWAR: Rescuers were struggling to retrieve bodies from debris after flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains across northern Pakistan killed at least 344 people in the past 48 hours, authorities said on Saturday. The majority of deaths, 328, were reported in mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said. Most were killed in flash floods and collapsing houses, while at least 120 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. MUZAFFARABAD: Onlookers gather near a destroyed bridge after flash floods on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. – AFP The meteorological department has issued a heavy rain alert for Pakistan's northwest, urging people to take 'precautionary measures'. Eleven 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. 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 650 people, with more than 880 injured. 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.' Kuwait expresses solidarity In another development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday voiced Kuwait's solidarity with the Pakistan following the devastating floods and landslides that caused heavy human and material losses. In a statement, the ministry conveyed Kuwait's heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the government and people of Pakistan, as well as to the families of the victims. It also wished the injured a swift recovery.– Agencies
Kuwait Times
a day ago
- Kuwait Times
Indian rescuers scour debris after 60 killed in flood
KISHTWAR, India: Indian rescuers pulled bodies from mud and rubble Friday after the latest deadly flood to crash through a Himalayan village killed at least 60 people and washed away dozens more. Torrents of water and mud driven by intense rain tore through Chisoti village in Indian-administered Kashmir on Thursday, leaving dozens missing, including Hindu pilgrims who were visiting a shrine. It is the second major deadly flooding disaster in India this month. Officials said a large makeshift kitchen in Chisoti, where more than 100 pilgrims were, was completely washed away by what Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reported was a sudden 'cloudburst' rain storm. Arun Shah, 35, had just completed his pilgrimage with his family when the flood struck. 'It was horrifying', he told AFP, speaking by telephone from a hospital in Kishtwar district, where Chisoti is located. 'Boulders and a rush of water came down from the mountain. We all got separated while trying to save ourselves,' he said. Kishtwar district hospital head Yudhvir Kotwal told AFP more than 100 people were brought in after the disaster. 'Most of the injured had head injuries, fractured bones and ribs,' Kotwal said, adding that 'dead bodies are still being retrieved from under the mud and rubble'. Heavy earthmovers were brought to the disaster area to dig through deep mud. The army's White Knight Corps said its troops, 'braving the harsh weather and rugged terrain, are engaged in evacuation of injured'. Emergency supplies including ropes and digging tools were being brought to the disaster site, with the army supporting other rescue teams. Mohammad Irshad, a top disaster management official, told AFP on Friday that '60 people are recorded dead', with 80 people unaccounted for. Floods and landslides are common during the June-September monsoon season, but experts say climate change, coupled with poorly planned development, is increasing their frequency, severity and impact. Floods on August 5 overwhelmed the Himalayan town of Dharali in India's Uttarakhand state and buried it in mud. The likely death toll from that disaster is more than 70 but has not been confirmed. The UN's World Meteorological Organization said last year that increasingly intense floods and droughts are a 'distress signal' of what is to come as climate change makes the planet's water cycle ever more unpredictable. Roads had already been damaged by days of heavy storms in Kishtwar district. The area lies more than 200 kilometers (125 miles) by road from the region's main city Srinagar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the spate of disasters in his Independence Day speech in New Delhi on Friday. 'In the past few days, we have been facing natural disasters, landslides, cloudbursts, and many other calamities,' he said. 'Our sympathies are with the affected people. State governments and the central government are working together with full strength.' — AFP
