Pakistan Reports Floods Leave Over 400 Dead
(MENAFN) Catastrophic rains, flash floods, and sudden cloudbursts have ravaged Pakistan for a fifth consecutive day, claiming the lives of more than 400 people, the country’s disaster management agency confirmed Tuesday.
The brunt of the disaster has been felt in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where at least 352 people have died in flood-related incidents since August 14, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).
Fatalities have also been reported in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and the mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan region, highlighting the widespread scale of the emergency.
In just the past 24 hours, nearly 50 additional deaths occurred due to rain-triggered calamities across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Sindh, Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, as reported by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and various local media outlets.
Severe rainfall deluged Karachi, Pakistan’s most populous city and its financial hub, submerging roads, disrupting power supply, and prompting local authorities to declare a state of emergency.
The current monsoon onslaught began last Friday in the country's northwest, sweeping away homes, toppling trees, unleashing landslides, and causing rivers to breach their banks in several districts.
One of the most devastated areas is Buner, a remote district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where at least 222 people have perished since the flooding began.
Nationwide, the death toll since late June stands at nearly 700, with more than 1,000 others injured due to the relentless weather events, according to the NDMA.
A major portion of Beshonai village in Buner was destroyed Friday night. Emergency crews remain on site, combing through debris in search of possible survivors.
Among the hardest-hit areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are the districts of Buner, Bajaur, Swat, Battagram, Mansehra, Shangla, Swabi, Dir Upper, Dir Lower, and Torghar, where widespread fatalities and extensive damage have been reported.
The disaster began late Thursday with intense downpours, followed by a violent cloudburst on Friday morning that intensified the flooding. Another heavy rain system struck again on Monday, compounding the humanitarian crisis.
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