Monsoon rains and flash floods have killed over 460 people across Pakistan in less than two weeks, with authorities warning of more rainfall ahead.
At least 13 people were killed and dozens injured on Sunday as fresh monsoon rain triggered flash floods and landslides in northern Pakistan, bringing the overall death toll to over 460 in less than two weeks. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) confirmed that casualties were reported in multiple districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the province worst hit by the disaster.
Rescue officials said: “At least eight casualties were reported from Dera Ismail Khan over the past 24 hours, whereas three children were killed when the roof of their home collapsed in remote Dir district, which sits near the Afghanistan border.” The officials added that 40 people were injured in Dera Ismail Khan as massive rains and gusty winds battered the district.
According to PDMA figures, “some 406 people have been killed across KP province since Aug. 15; of them, 337 were killed in the Buner district, which bore the main impact of massive rains and floods.” Other provinces including Sindh, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir have also recorded over 60 fatalities.
On Wednesday, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported: “Ongoing heavy rains and flooding have claimed 43 more lives in Pakistan in just 24 hours, raising the death toll since Aug. 14 to 437.” Of those, 21 deaths were recorded in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 11 in Sindh, and 11 in Gilgit-Baltistan.
The NDMA further warned: “Heavy rains and flooding continue to batter the hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with authorities warning that this new spell of rain will persist until Thursday.” Torrential downpours also disrupted life in Karachi, causing infrastructure damage in the country’s main commercial hub.
While rescue operations continue, the authorities confirmed that “search and relief operations are ongoing in the Buner, Swat and Swabi districts, where authorities say dozens remain missing.” The Buner district has been particularly devastated with “six more bodies recovered from the rubble, raising the death toll to 228 since last Friday”.
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In total, “since the onset of this year’s monsoon season in late June, around 748 people have reportedly been killed and over 1,000 injured across Pakistan”.
Death and destruction
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, along with cabinet members and the army chief, visited affected regions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Prime Minister’s Office stated: “Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by Cabinet members and the army chief, visited flood-hit areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and met with affected families”.
Earlier, officials said that “torrential rains flanked by cloud bursts and flash floods continued to batter Pakistan on Tuesday, killing more than 400 people over the past five days.” The PDMA noted that “a majority of casualties have been reported from several districts of northwestern province, where 352 people have lost their lives in flood-related accidents since Aug. 14”.
Authorities have also revealed the scale of the destruction, with the PDMA stating that 780 houses have been damaged so far, including 349 completely destroyed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar added: “More than 25,000 people have been evacuated from affected areas and more than 1,000 people have been admitted to hospitals”.
The NDMA has confirmed that “around 800 people have been killed in rain- and flood-related accidents across the country since late June.”
Pakistan continues to face one of the most devastating monsoon seasons in recent history. Meteorologists have forecast further rains in the next 24 to 48 hours, raising fears of more destruction in already battered provinces.
