Severe monsoon floods and landslides in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir have resulted in the deaths of at least 194 individuals within the last 24 hours, according to official reports.
Disaster management authorities reported the majority of fatalities, totaling 180, in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of northwest Pakistan. The devastation included the destruction of at least 30 homes. Furthermore, a rescue helicopter crashed during operations, resulting in the loss of all five crew members.
Authorities also confirmed nine fatalities in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, along with five deaths in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region.
Government weather forecasts indicate that heavy rainfall is expected to continue until August 21, particularly in the northwestern regions of the country, where numerous areas have been designated as disaster zones.
A survivor in Buner described the catastrophic impact to AFP, stating that the floods resembled a “doomsday” scenario.
“I heard a loud noise as if the mountain was sliding. I rushed outside and saw the entire area shaking, like it was the end of the world,” recounted Azizullah, a local resident.
“The ground was trembling due to the force of the water, and it felt like death was staring me in the face,” he added, conveying the harrowing experience.
The Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gadapur, stated that the M-17 helicopter crashed due to adverse weather conditions while en route to Bajaur, a region bordering Afghanistan.
AFP photos from Bajaur depicted a crowd gathered around an excavator working on a mud-soaked hillside. Funeral prayers were observed in a nearby paddock, as people mourned before bodies covered with blankets.
In Indian-administered Kashmir, rescue teams recovered bodies from mud and debris on Friday following a flash flood that swept through a Himalayan village, resulting in at least 60 deaths and numerous missing individuals.
The monsoon season, spanning from June to September, accounts for approximately three-quarters of South Asia’s annual rainfall. Landslides and flooding are frequent occurrences, with over 300 fatalities reported during this year’s season.
In July, Punjab, home to nearly half of Pakistan’s 255 million residents, experienced a 73% increase in rainfall compared to the previous year, along with a higher death toll than the entire previous monsoon season.
Scientists assert that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.