Deadly flash floods, landslides claim over 250 lives in rain-lashed northern Pakistan

More than 250 people have lost their lives, with dozens more injured, as cloudbursts and relentless downpours triggered flash floods and landslides across northern Pakistan, provincial and rescue officials said on Saturday.

Over 200 deaths have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 12 in Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and 19 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), with the toll expected to rise as the situation remains volatile.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said that 28 people have been injured nationwide, while 116 houses have been damaged — 34 partially and 14 fully in KP, 14 partially and three fully in GB, and 23 partially and 28 fully in AJK.

Apart from several homes being swept away in the devastation, communications in multiple areas have been cut off. Officials reported that mobile phone towers were damaged, leaving flood-hit regions isolated.

A KP government helicopter carrying relief supplies to Bajaur’s Salarzai area crashed in bad weather over Mohmand district, killing all five on board, said Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s spokesperson, Faraz Mughal. 

Another helicopter is conducting rescue operations in Buner. 

DNA samples of the victims have been sent to Lahore for testing, with results expected in 24 hours. Funeral prayers will be held today.

Key takeaways:

• KP relief helicopter crashes in Mohmand, killing five on board
• PM orders urgent relief operations in flood-hit northern areas
• Army teams rescue stranded residents in Swat and Bajaur
• Bridges, roads washed away in GB and AJK flooding
• Mobile networks down in several flood-affected communities
• KP CM vows full compensation for property, livelihood losses
• Schools closed in AJK due to rains, landslide threats
  

KP CM Gandapur directed that emergency teams be dispatched immediately to affected areas. He announced that a day of mourning will be observed tomorrow.

"The national flag will fly at half-mast across the province, and the martyrs will be laid to rest with full state honours," the statement from his office said.

In response, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed the NDMA to conduct comprehensive relief operations in flood-affected areas of AJK and KP.

Electricity supply in Swat has been crippled after floodwaters entered the 132KV grid station, suspending power on 41 feeders, according to the Peshawar Electricity Supply Company (PESCO).

Sixteen poles supplying Malam Jabba were washed away, while numerous other poles and transformers were damaged across the district.

Fallen trees on transmission lines have worsened outages. PESCO has deployed extra staff on an emergency basis and set up a control room to monitor the situation.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan, whose party governs KP, warned that the death toll could rise in Buner. “Entire villages have been wiped out, roads are gone, and infrastructure is destroyed,” he said.

A state of emergency has been declared in Buner, with hospitals on high alert. “Our focus is on search and rescue operations, but helicopters will be essential to reach several locations,” he added, stressing that “this is not a time for politics.”

Buner devastation

Flash floods have caused massive destruction in Buner, hitting the areas of Pir Baba, Gokand, and Chagharzi the hardest.

Rescue officials confirmed 213 deaths so far, while Deputy Commissioner Kashif Qayyum put the toll at 184. According to rescue reports, 150 people died in Gadezai tehsil, 25 in Gokand, and 38 in Chagharzi.

Rescue operations are underway in Pir Baba, Bishoni, Malik Pur, Batai, Gokand, and Chagharzi. In Pir Baba, dozens of vehicles, houses, and shops have been swept away.

Hospitals in Buner are struggling to cope. The DHQ hospital in Daggar has three unidentified bodies, and the THQ in Pacha Kalle has 18. Dozens of other victims are being treated — 21 in DHQ Daggar and 25 in THQ Pacha Kalle.

KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi urged unity, saying: “We must work together to save lives.”

He confirmed that mobile towers and other communications infrastructure had been damaged by floods and landslides, further isolating communities. 

“The federal government stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the province,” he added.

The Pakistan Army’s flood relief operation is under way, with efforts focused on flood-hit districts of Swat and Bajaur. 

Army teams are moving residents from affected areas to safe locations, while in Bajaur, people are being rescued by helicopter. Food supplies and medicines are also being delivered to the affected areas by air.

Destruction in GB, AJK

In AJK’s Neelum Valley, floodwaters washed away six suspension bridges, while in Muzaffarabad, a cloudburst killed eight people, including six members of the same family.

Landslides and flood damage have blocked multiple sections of the Kohala and Neelum highways, cutting off road access to parts of the valley. Tourists remain stranded at the Ratti Gali base camp after the road was swept away in several places.

The AJK government also announced the closure of public and private schools on August 15 and 16 owing to continued heavy rains and the risk of landslides.

In GB, flash floods have destroyed crops, orchards, homes, bridges, and water channels. Flash floods also ravaged Ghizer’s Yasin Thoi, damaging houses, schools, water tanks, and agricultural land.

A man from Lahore was killed when his vehicle travelling from Skardu to Gilgit was hit by a landslide on the Baltistan Highway, pushing the GB death toll to 12, the government’s spokesperson said.

Two people are still missing and five others have been injured, he said.

He said that the hardest-hit areas are in Ghizer district, while in Baltistan the most damage has been reported in Shigar, Ghanche and Haramang.

Flooding has also affected different parts of Skardu. However, no loss of life has been reported in Baltistan Division.

Landslides disrupted travel on the Baltistan and Sadpara roads, while Thor in Diamer reported severe destruction. The Astore valley wasn’t spared either. Floods also damaged agricultural land and roads in the area.

The Karakoram Highway remains blocked, severing land links between Gilgit and Rawalpindi. However, the Karakoram Highway and Babusar Road have been restored within GB boundaries.

In Diamer, two people were killed and as many others injured in the Bunar area since Thursday. Authorities noted that the Thor Nala river had overflowed and caused severe destruction.

Disaster management and rescue teams are currently engaged in relief and recovery efforts.

Rain is expected to continue in the coming hours and residents of some low-lying areas have been evacuated as a precaution.

Several valleys in Diamer and Skardu have been cut off, with power stations shut down after the Sadpara Dam’s water channel was swept away.

GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said that relief and search operations are underway despite challenging weather conditions.

“This is a testing time for Gilgit-Baltistan,” said Faraq. “The government is mobilising all available resources to assist the affected communities.”

The GB government has imposed emergency measures in several areas, directing the GB Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA) and Rescue 1122 to remain on high alert.

Across the Line of Control, in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, a cloudburst and subsequent flash flooding killed at least 56 people, with more than 100 reported missing. 

Officials fear the toll could rise. A large number of Hindu pilgrims were present in the affected area when the disaster struck.

'Soon overcome the situation'

KP CM Gandapur said that cloudbursts and heavy rains in the Malakand and Hazara regions have caused flooding. He added that various incidents have resulted in significant loss of life and property.

According to Gandapur, two helicopters of the provincial government were engaged in rescue operations. However, one helicopter met with a tragic accident due to bad weather, resulting in the martyrdom of five crew members.

He said that the district administration and provincial government departments were engaged in rescue and relief operations, ensuring all measures for the safety of lives and property.

The situation was being monitored through the control room at the Chief Minister’s House, while administrations in both affected and other districts had been placed on high alert. “Preventive measures were also being taken in other areas.”

Heavy machinery had been deployed in the affected areas to carry out rescue work and reopen blocked roads, he said. Measures are also underway to compensate for damage to property, the CM said.

The provincial government, he assured, was standing with the people in this difficult time and would fully compensate for losses caused by these natural disasters.

The chief minister appealed to the public to adopt precautionary measures and fully cooperate with the administration.

He said elected public representatives were present in the affected areas and were coordinating with the local administration. Gandapur expressed hope that, God willing, they would soon overcome the situation together.

PM orders comprehensive flood relief operations

Prime Minister Shehbaz has directed the NDMA to ensure the immediate delivery of tents, medicines, food supplies, and other essential relief items to KP.

Chairing an emergency meeting in Islamabad to assess the flood situation caused by recent heavy rains across the country, he instructed the dispatching of relief goods urgently via trucks on a priority basis.

NDMA Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik briefed the prime minister on the damage caused by cloudbursts and flash floods in the northern regions, as well as ongoing rescue and relief operations.

The PM directed NDMA to continue close coordination with the KP government and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, and to extend full support in rescue and relief efforts by mobilizing all available resources.

He instructed the NDMA chairman to further strengthen communication with the provincial government to ensure effective rescue and relief operations. The prime minister also advised that stranded individuals and tourists in flood-affected areas be promptly relocated to safe locations.

The prime minister was briefed on the extent of damage and the progress of ongoing rescue and relief efforts.

Besides, PM Shehbaz held telephone conversations with KP Governor Kundi and CM Gandapur. He expressed deep sorrow over the loss of precious lives due to cloudbursts and flash floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He assured the chief minister that the federal government would extend full support to the provincial administration.

The prime minister said the federal government is dispatching medicines, tents, and food supplies to the affected areas. He said in this hour of hardship, our heartfelt sympathies are with the affected people.

Governor Kundi also received a call from Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, who expressed his condolences over the large-scale human and material losses in the province due to the cloudburst.

The Sindh CM offered every possible assistance from the Sindh government to help the affected areas, assuring that the government and people of Sindh stood firmly with the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“The Sindh government is fully prepared to extend all forms of support to the flood-affected communities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Shah told Governor Kundi.

Prolonged monsoon

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 is expected to end later.

"The next 15 days... the intensity of the monsoon will further exacerbate," he said.

Scientists say that climate change has made weather events around the world more extreme and more frequent.

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.

The torrential rains that have pounded Pakistan since the start of the summer monsoon, described as "unusual" by authorities, have killed more than 500 people, including 159 children.

In July, Punjab, home to nearly half of Pakistan’s 255 million people, recorded 73% more rainfall than the previous year and more deaths than in the entire previous monsoon.

Monsoon floods in 2022 submerged a third of the country and killed around 1,700 people.

— Additional input from AFP