Death toll from northern Pakistan monsoon floods hits almost 400
BAR DALORI, PAKISTAN: Rescuers and villagers searched for survivors on Tuesday (Aug 19) as the death toll from days of torrential rains and flash floods in northern Pakistan climbed to nearly 400.
The monsoon deluge has swept away entire villages, triggered landslides and left scores missing, with authorities warning that downpours are likely to continue until the weekend.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said 356 people were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province since Thursday evening. Dozens more died in neighbouring regions, bringing the five-day toll to almost 400.
VILLAGES DESTROYED
In hard-hit Dalori village, rescuers dug through mud and debris to search for the missing.
"Our misery is beyond explanation. In a matter of minutes, we lost everything we had. Our lives are ruined," said Umar Islam, a 31-year-old labourer whose father was killed on Monday.
Another resident, Fazal Akbar, said the flooding was “terrifying”.
"It happened so suddenly that no one even had a minute to react. Announcements were made from the mosque, and villagers rushed to begin the rescue themselves. In less than 20 minutes, our village was reduced to ruins," he said.
ACCESS BLOCKED
Many roads have been washed out, complicating rescue efforts, while damaged phone networks have left parts of the province cut off.
In southern Sindh, where rain only began falling on Tuesday, officials warned of possible urban flooding in major cities, including Karachi, due to weak infrastructure.
During the downpour, drivers in Karachi were stranded in rising waters and multiple neighbourhoods lost power as the city’s old sewer system failed to cope.
In neighbouring Balochistan, rain damaged 40 to 50 houses in two districts and blocked the main highway linking the province to Sindh, provincial official Muhammad Younis said.
MORE RAIN AHEAD
The NDMA said the monsoon rains were expected to continue until Saturday, with another spell forecast for the end of the month.
Since June 26, more than 700 people have been killed and nearly 1,000 injured in this year’s monsoon season, officials said.
Pakistan, one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, faces frequent extreme weather events. In 2022, monsoon floods submerged a third of the country, killing about 1,700 people.
