At least 325 people have died and more than 150 others are injured after days of relentless monsoon rains triggered flash floods across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and other parts of Pakistan, according to officials on Monday.
Entire villages have been submerged, homes swept away, and thousands forced to flee in what is quickly becoming one of the deadliest monsoon spells of the year.
Worst Impact Felt in Buner
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) confirmed that among the dead are 30 women and 21 children, with the district of Buner suffering the highest casualties at 217 deaths. Landslides and torrents of water have also battered Swat, Bajaur, Mansehra, Shangla, and Battagram, leaving 339 homes damaged—over 100 of them beyond repair.
Rescue teams are still clearing roads and evacuating families from remote valleys, while hospitals across the region remain on high alert for new casualties.
Flood Situation in Rivers and Streams
Flood monitoring reports show multiple waterways running dangerously high:
- Jindi River, Charsadda – low-level flood (9,851 cusecs)
- Naranji Nallah, Swabi – medium-level flood (11,662 cusecs)
- Kalpani Nallah, Mardan – heavy but normal flow (17,441 cusecs)
- Dor River, Haripur – low-level flood (14,214 cusecs)
In Abbottabad, torrential rain submerged Ayub Bridge on the Karakoram Highway, cutting off transport routes. In some towns, schools were flooded, disrupting classes.
Army Steps In for Relief
The Pakistan Army has deployed helicopters, engineering units, and medical teams to flood-hit districts. Supplies of food and medicine are being airlifted into cut-off communities in Buner, Swat, Shangla, and Bajaur. Mobile medical camps have been set up, while search teams continue to pull survivors from debris.
Military officials said operations will continue until all families are reached, stressing that many areas remain inaccessible due to blocked roads.
Widespread Rain Forecast Raises Alarm
The Meteorological Department has warned that more rain is on the way. Forecasts include:
- KP and northern Punjab: Heavy showers expected in Dir, Chitral, Swat, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Haripur, Peshawar, Mardan, and Rawalpindi.
- Central Punjab: Rain and thunderstorms for Lahore, Faisalabad, Sargodha, and Jhang.
- Sindh: Humid and partly cloudy conditions with rainfall likely in Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Tharparkar, and Jacobabad.
- Balochistan: Heavy downpours in Zhob, Loralai, Mastung, and Khuzdar.
- Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: Cloudy weather with possible rain spells.
Authorities have urged residents in mountainous and low-lying areas to remain alert to the risk of flash floods and landslides, particularly from August 19 to 21.
Relief Supplies on the Move
Government officials said 89 trucks of aid, carrying tents, food, and medicines, have already been dispatched to KP’s hardest-hit areas. But with forecasts predicting more torrential downpours, officials warn the crisis could worsen in the coming days.
