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AsiaOne
3 days ago
- Climate
- AsiaOne
More than 300 people dead in Pakistan after heavy rains, floods, Asia News
PESHAWAR, Pakistan - More than 300 people are dead in northwest Pakistan after two days of heavy rains and flash floods, local officials said on Saturday (Aug 17). 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. 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. [[nid:719697]] 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.
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Climate
- Korea Herald
More than 300 dead in Pakistan after heavy rains, floods
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) -- More than 300 people are dead in northwest Pakistan after two days of heavy rains and flash floods, local officials said 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 neighboring 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. He rushed to his house where his family were sleeping to find the roof had collapsed. Helped by neighbors, 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.
Roya News
3 days ago
- Climate
- Roya News
Pakistan rescuers recover bodies after monsoon rains kill over 340
Rescuers struggled to retrieve bodies from muddy debris on Saturday after flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains across northern Pakistan killed at least 344 people in the past 48 hours, authorities said. The majority of deaths, 324, were reported in mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the National Disaster Management Authority said. Most were killed in flash floods and collapsing houses, while at least 137 others were injured. One resident told AFP it felt like "the end of the world" 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 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," Bilal Ahmed Faizi, spokesman for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's rescue agency, told AFP. He said road closures meant rescue workers had to walk to some of the disaster sites in remote regions. "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," Faizi said. Buner district deputy commissioner Kashif Qayum Khan also said rescuers were forced to find new ways to reach remote areas. "Many more people may still be trapped under the debris, which local residents cannot clear manually," Khan told AFP. 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 also issued a heavy rain alert for Pakistan's northwest, urging people to take "precautionary measures". Eleven more people were killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and another nine in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, national officials said. Five more were killed when a local government helicopter crashed due to bad weather during a relief mission on Friday. '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. The national disaster agency's Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah told AFP that this year's monsoon season began earlier than usual and was expected to end later. It would also increase in intensity over the next fortnight, 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," 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." An AFP journalist saw three excavators clearing mud and wood from the completely flattened site, while dozens of rescuers and residents also dug through the debris. "My daughter's dowry worth around five hundred thousand rupees ($1,760) was washed away in the flood," resident Abdul Hayat told AFP. "We don't even have clothes to wear, the food was also swept away," he said. Others cleared heavy rocks with their hands and with shovels. "People are still lying under the debris... Those who were swept away are being searched for downstream," said resident Abdul Khan. In picturesque Swat district, an AFP photographer saw roads submerged in muddy water, downed electricity poles 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 905 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 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.
Nikkei Asia
3 days ago
- Climate
- Nikkei Asia
Pakistan floods kill more than 300 following heavy rain in northwest
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) -- 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 neighboring 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. He rushed to his house where his family were sleeping to find the roof had collapsed. Helped by neighbors, 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 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 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 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.
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- Climate
- The Advertiser
More than 300 people dead in Pakistan after floods
More than 300 people are dead in northwest Pakistan after two days of heavy rains and flash floods. 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 thunder. He rushed to his house, where his family was sleeping, to find that 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 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. More than 300 people are dead in northwest Pakistan after two days of heavy rains and flash floods. 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 thunder. He rushed to his house, where his family was sleeping, to find that 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 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. More than 300 people are dead in northwest Pakistan after two days of heavy rains and flash floods. 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 thunder. He rushed to his house, where his family was sleeping, to find that 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 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. More than 300 people are dead in northwest Pakistan after two days of heavy rains and flash floods. 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 thunder. He rushed to his house, where his family was sleeping, to find that 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 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.
