Pakistan: Torrential rains kill 307 people in last 48 hours

Islamabad: Torrential monsoon rains and flash floods continue to wreak havoc in Pakistan with as many as 307 people losing their lives and 23 getting injured across the province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) over the past 48 hours, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on Saturday.

According to PDMA, among all the districts of KP, Buner was hit hardest by the massive disaster with 184 deaths, followed by Shangla with 36, Bajaur with 21, Mansehra with 23, Swat with 22, Battagram with 15, Lower Dir with five, and Abbottabad with one fatality.

Among the deceased were 279 men, 15 women, and 13 children. The rain-induced disaster caused extensive damage to infrastructure, with 63 houses fully damaged and 74 partially damaged, while schools and bridges were swept away across multiple districts, Pakistan’s leading daily ‘The Express Tribune’ reported.

The crisis in KP is far from over, as the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted more rain with heavy downpour expected in the upper parts of the province. Meanwhile, in the Buner district, the Deputy Commissioner announced flood emergencies in the subdivisions of Daggar, Gadezai, Gagra, Mandanr, and Chagharzai, as rescue teams deployed faced raging waters during the operation. The disaster has inflicted a heavy human toll, with distressing accounts of survival and loss emerging from the ruins

“I heard a loud noise as if the mountain was sliding. I rushed outside and saw the entire area shaking. I thought it was doomsday,” the newspaper quoted Buner-resident Azizullah as saying.

Additionally, in the tribal district of Bajaur, a midnight cloudburst accompanied by a lightning strike devastated the entire village of Jabrai, Salarzai tehsil. Four houses were destroyed, resulting in 21 deaths and five injuries.

Bajaur Deputy Commissioner Shahid Ali confirmed the recovery of 19 bodies, while rescue efforts faced major challenges with fast-flowing water, rising river levels, and landslides that blocked roads for heavy equipment

Along the Mansehra-Battagram boundary of KP, a cloudburst over the village of Dheri Haleem Neelban in the Shimlai area caused one of the deadliest single incidents in the region. More than 25 people died after lightning strikes and flash floods swept away 10 houses into the raging Nandhar stream.

Reports suggest that 16 bodies, including women and children, have been recovered from different locations along the stream, while search operations for the missing are underway.

IANS