A sudden flash flood, triggered by heavy rain, swept through northwest Pakistan, wreaking havoc across towns and villages and claiming over 300 lives in just 24 hours, including five crew members of a rescue helicopter.
Rivers and streams overflowed, flooding roads and homes, uprooting trees, and leaving widespread destruction in their path. The torrential rains also triggered landslides, washing away roads and cutting off connectivity in several areas.
Visuals shared on social media show houses submerged, streets turned into waterways, cars floating, and rescue workers struggling to carry out relief operations amid the chaos.
First responders have been working to recover bodies in the hardest-hit villages of Pir Baba and Malik Pura, where the majority of deaths occurred on Friday, Associated Press quoted Kashif Qayyum, deputy commissioner of Buner, as saying.
Since late June, the beginning of monsoon season, torrential rains have wreaked havoc across the country, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern regions deadly floods, landslides, and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority said in its report that 307 people were killed in the flash floods, with Buner recording at least 184 deaths, Associated Press reported.
{{/usCountry}}The Provincial Disaster Management Authority said in its report that 307 people were killed in the flash floods, with Buner recording at least 184 deaths, Associated Press reported.
{{/usCountry}}Shangla reported 36 deaths, followed by Mansehra with 23, Swat 22, Bajaur 21, Battagram 15, Lower Dir five, while a child drowned in Abbottabad.
On Friday, the PDMA spokesperson had said that the number of those dead or injured was expected to rise further as scores of people were still missing in affected areas.
A helicopter delivering relief supplies to flood-hit areas in Bajaur, near the Afghan border, crashed amid bad weather, killing all five crew members.
In Swat district, over 2,000 people were evacuated to safer locations as rivers and streams swelled, Reuters reported, citing officials.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif chaired an emergency meeting to review the flood situation caused by the recent heavy rains, his office said.
Hundreds more have died in recent weeks as Pakistan has faced heavier-than-usual monsoon rains, washing away roads, homes, and other infrastructure.
With agencies inputs