Monday, 18 August 2025
Monday, 18 August 2025
Torrential monsoon rains and flash floods have killed at least 657 people and injured nearly 1,000 across Pakistan since late June, officials said on Sunday, warning that heavy rainfall is likely to persist until September.
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) spokesperson Tayyab Shah said in a media briefing that this year’s monsoon season ranks among the most destructive in recent memory, with rainfall 50 to 60 per cent heavier than last year.
“Heavy monsoon rains are expected to persist until August 22. Two to three more monsoon spells are also expected in September,” he added.
According to NDMA data, the dead include 171 children, 94 women and 392 men, while 929 others have been injured since June 26.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is the worst-hit province with 390 deaths, followed by Punjab with 164, Sindh 28, Balochistan 20, Gilgit-Baltistan 32, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 15, and Islamabad eight.
Buner district in KP has been the epicentre of the disaster. Officials said around 150 people are missing in Buner and Shangla districts, while 84 people, including 21 members of a family preparing for a wedding, were killed in flash floods triggered by cloudbursts in Buner.
The district was hit by a rare cloudburst, dumping more than 150 mm of rain in just an hour on Friday morning.
“It was like a doomsday scenario,” 24-year-old university student Sahil Khan told Reuters TV. “Everybody is scared. Children are scared. They cannot sleep.”
Heavy downpours in Buner and other flood-hit areas on Monday forced rescue teams to suspend relief efforts for several hours before resuming.
“Our priority is now to clear the roads, set up bridges and bring relief to the affected people,” regional government officer Abid Wazir said.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Asfandyar Khattak said rescue operations are underway with five armed forces helicopters at the disposal of the provincial government.
He added that PKR 1.5 billion has been released for relief activities, with trucks carrying non-food items and essential supplies dispatched to Buner, Swat, and Bajaur.
The federal government has also mobilised resources. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in a video statement on Monday that food, medicine, blankets, tents, generators, and de-watering pumps have been sent to the affected areas under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Relief Package.
Meanwhile, investigators have recovered the black box of an MI-17 helicopter that crashed on August 15 during a relief operation near Peshawar, killing all five crew members. The aircraft was delivering supplies to flood-hit residents in the Salarzai area of Bajaur.
The devastation has also taken a toll on infrastructure. According to the KP education department, 61 government schools have been completely destroyed, while 414 others were partially damaged.
Rescue workers, supported by the army and local authorities, are continuing efforts to shift stranded families to relief camps.
Excavator machines are being used to clear mud, debris, and fallen trees.
Residents in several villages have been forced to flee to higher ground as rivers and channels continue to swell.
“The current weather system is active over the Pakistan region and may cause heavy to very heavy rainfall during the next 24 hours,” the NDMA warned, adding that more heavy rain is expected until early September.
