More than 300 people have been killed in northwest Pakistan after two days of torrential rains, flash floods, and landslides, local officials confirmed on Saturday.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority reported 307 fatalities, with dozens still missing, marking the deadliest downpour of this year’s monsoon season.
The disaster struck the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, where cloudbursts, lightning strikes, and floods swept through remote villages. In Buner district, north of Islamabad, at least 184 people were confirmed dead after a sudden torrent inundated villages. “There was no time for anyone to react,” said Bilal Faizi, spokesperson for Pakistan’s official 1122 rescue service. “There was a cloud burst in Buner early on Friday creating a torrent of water that swept down to the villages below.”
Mohammad Suhail, an emergency services spokesman, said hundreds of rescuers are still searching for survivors. “Rescue workers are trying to recover bodies from the worst-hit villages of Pir Baba and Malik Pura,” said Kashif Qayyum, deputy commissioner in Buner.
Survivors recall harrowing escapes
Accounts from survivors underscore the sudden devastation. Saeedullah, a resident of Bajaur district near the Afghan border, described being jolted awake by thunder before discovering his home destroyed. “Helped by neighbours, he dug through the debris and found the bodies of his wife and five children,” local officials said. “There is destruction everywhere, piles of rubble,” Saeedullah, 42, added.
In Buner, resident Zahid Hussain said floodwaters engulfed his village within minutes. “The floodwater washed away our house in front of our eyes. Within minutes, we were made homeless,” he said from a hospital where he was treating his injured nephew.
Local police officer Imtiaz Khan, who narrowly escaped, said, “A stream near Pir Baba village in Buner swelled without warning. At first, we thought it was a normal flash flood, but when tons of rocks came crashing down with the water, 60 to 70 houses were swept away in moments. Our police station was washed away too and if we hadn’t climbed to higher ground, we would not have survived.”
One survivor in Buner described the scene as “doomsday.” Azizullah told AFP, “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.”
National Response and Relief Efforts
Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, said both civilian and military teams were deployed for rescue and relief operations, while the prime minister chaired an emergency meeting in Islamabad. Provincial Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah confirmed that medical camps were being set up and food supplies arranged for families who lost their homes.
In the midst of the crisis, a military rescue helicopter crashed due to poor weather, killing all five crew members. “The M-17 helicopter crashed due to bad weather while flying to Bajaur,” said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
Authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have declared a day of mourning, while clerics have led mass funeral prayers across devastated districts. Schoolteacher Suleman Khan, who lost 25 members of his extended family in Qadar Nagar, said he and his brother survived only because they were away from home when the floods hit. “Before yesterday’s floods, the area was bustling with life. Now, there is grief and sorrow everywhere,” said local cleric Mufti Fazal.
Forecasts warn of more rainfall
The Pakistan Meteorological Department warned of more torrential rains in the coming days, with monsoon activity expected to intensify across northern and northwestern regions. The National Disaster Management Authority also raised alarms of heightened risk of flooding and landslides through August 21.
“Many among the dead were children and men, while women were away in the hills collecting firewood and grazing cattle,” said Dr. Mohammad Tariq in Buner, underscoring the vulnerability of rural households.
Climate pressures intensify Pakistan’s Monsoon Risks
Pakistan has received higher-than-normal monsoon rainfall this year, which experts link to climate change. According to the National Disaster Management Authority, at least 541 people have died in rain-related incidents since June 26. Scientists say rising global temperatures are intensifying monsoon rains, while glacial melt in northern Pakistan further destabilizes mountainsides.
Pakistan’s chief meteorologist Zaheer Babar warned that homes built near rivers and streams, combined with obstructed waterways, are amplifying the destruction. “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,” Babar said.
Friederike Otto, climate scientist at Imperial College London, added: “Pakistan is on the frontline of climate change. It is enduring temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) and relentless droughts, wildfires, and catastrophic floods fueled by extreme monsoon rains and rapidly melting glaciers.”
Pakistan, home to 250 million people, contributes only 0.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions but remains one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations. Its 2022 monsoon season killed more than 1,700 people and caused an estimated $40 billion in damages.