At least 321 people have died in northern Pakistan over the past 48 hours due to flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains, authorities reported on Saturday. The majority of deaths (307) occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, including 15 women and 13 children, with at least 23 others injured.
Rescue operations remain challenging, as roads are washed out and rain continues to hamper relief efforts. Around 2,000 rescue workers are retrieving bodies and assisting survivors across nine affected districts, many of them traveling on foot to reach remote areas.
Severely affected districts include Buner, Bajaur, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, and Battagram, which have been declared disaster-hit zones. The meteorological department issued heavy rain warnings for northwestern Pakistan.
Additional casualties include nine deaths in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and five in Gilgit-Baltistan. A government helicopter crashed during a relief mission, killing five people, including two pilots.
The monsoon season, vital for agriculture, has started earlier and may last longer than usual this year, exacerbating the risk of landslides and flash floods. Officials warn that the next 15 days could see further intensification.
Local residents described the devastation as apocalyptic, with entire villages buried under mud and debris. Many are still searching for missing family members, with survivors recounting the trauma of witnessing neighbors and children trapped in rubble.
Authorities note that Pakistan is among the most climate-vulnerable countries, regularly facing extreme weather events, with the 2022 monsoon floods having killed around 1,700 people and submerged a third of the country.
