By Staff Reporter
PESHAWAR: Rescuers in northern Pakistan pulled more bodies from mud and debris on Saturday as the death toll from flash floods triggered by torrential monsoon rains rose to at least 340 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) reported.
The deluge has also claimed 12 lives in Gilgit-Baltistan and nine in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, alongside widespread destruction of homes, schools, and infrastructure.
In KP, over 200 deaths occurred in the 24 hours to Friday evening, including five crew members of a provincial government helicopter that crashed in Mohmand during relief efforts. The province observed a day of mourning, with the flag at half-mast at Peshawar’s Governor House.
Buner suffered the most, with 204 deaths over 48 hours, 120 injuries, and 50 people missing, Deputy Commissioner Kashif Qayum Khan’s office said. Buner police reported 207 deaths. The PDMA recorded 36 deaths in Shangla, 23 in Mansehra, 22 in Swat, 21 in Bajaur, 15 in Battagram, five in Lower Dir, and one child in Abbottabad. Eleven houses were destroyed, 63 partially damaged, and three schools in Swat and Shangla were affected.
“They are trying to evacuate survivors, but very few people are relocating due to the deaths of their relatives or loved ones being trapped in the debris,” said Bilal Ahmed Faizi, KP Rescue 1122 spokesperson.
The KP government declared an emergency in nine districts—Buner, Bajaur, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, Torghar, Upper and Lower Dir, and Battagram—until August 31, authorising local authorities to mobilise relief resources.
“The Provincial Disaster Management Authority shall provide… tents and NFIs (non-food items), and/or any other article available if required,” a government notification said.
KP allocated one billion rupees for relief and preparedness and 1.55 billion rupees for highway and bridge repairs, it said on X. Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur visited flood-hit areas on Saturday to “meet with the victims and listen to their issues and difficulties”, without specifying locations.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, “deeply anguished by the devastation caused by cloudbursts and flash floods in KP and northern Pakistan”, said “the government is mobilising all resources for rescue and relief operations.” He directed NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik to expedite efforts in the nine districts, prioritising Bajaur and Battagram. “Immediate relief is being provided to stranded residents, medical aid to the injured, and heavy machinery has been deployed to clear roads,” Sharif said on X.
The Pakistan Red Crescent in KP, on Governor Faisal Karim Kundi’s orders, opened an Emergency Relief Centre, contactable at 0300-5849255, 0334-9086169, 091-9333666, or 091-2590846. The provincial management service chairman offered his “whole salary” and requested a one-day salary deduction from all officers for relief.
Buner’s Deputy Commissioner banned private vehicles to ease rescues. Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, interim chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and a Buner lawmaker, and MPA Riaz Khan visited Bashonai to console grieving families, the KP government said.
In Gilgit-Baltistan, floods stranded “a great number of tourists” in Naltar Valley after washing away part of the Naltar Expressway, spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said. Three power plants shut down, cutting electricity to thousands. Floodwaters from Jaglot Goro stream inundated homes and restaurants. In Gilgit district, four power plants, a bridge, and an expressway were damaged, with buildings submerged in Jaglot Guru. In Bagrot, a power plant and bridge collapsed, halting power and land access. In Astore, a house near Allahwali Lake was swept away, with residents fleeing, Faraq said. “Local people ran to save their lives,” he added.
Some 2,000 rescue workers are scouring rubble in KP’s nine districts, the PDMA said. Rescue 1122 Director General Muhammad Tayyab Abdullah said an 80-member elite squad tackled high-risk zones, handling 3,542 emergencies in 12 hours with 76 vehicles. “Heavy rainfall, landslides in several areas, and washed-out roads are causing significant challenges in delivering aid,” Faizi said.
Pakistan Army troops reached Buner with engineering equipment to free those trapped, PTV News reported on X. Helicopters are delivering rations and evacuating residents. Rescue 1122 officials are overseeing Buner operations, with Abdullah urging people to avoid floodwaters and call the 1122 helpline.
In Battagram, two more bodies were found on Saturday in Malkal Gali-Neel Band village after a Thursday cloudburst, Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Saleem Khan said. Rescues resumed at 6:00 am after halting Friday evening due to darkness and terrain challenges.
In Swat, floods swamped the 132KV grid station, tripping 41 feeders and cutting power region-wide. The KP PDMA warned of rain until August 21, while the Pakistan Meteorological Department urged Balochistan to brace for monsoon rains from August 18 to 22.
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