Peshawar/Islamabad, Aug 15 (PTI) At least 154 individuals have lost their lives, with several others injured, as intense rainfall battered various regions of Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir over the past day, officials reported on Friday. Most fatalities occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where relentless rain resulted in flash floods across several districts, causing significant damage to buildings and blocking crucial routes, including the Karakoram Highway and Baltistan Highway in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Government officials noted that Buner district reported a toll of 75 deceased, with 17 in Mansehra, and 18 each in Bajaur and Batagram districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Over 125 people, including children, have passed away as a result of a cloudburst followed by flash floods that began affecting the province from Thursday night,” stated Faizi, the spokesperson for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), to PTI on Friday. Rescue teams alongside local inhabitants have retrieved the deceased, according to the spokesperson. Faizi further mentioned that the expected rise in the death toll is probable, given that numerous people remain unaccounted for in the affected regions. Reported casualties also include five dead and four injured in Lower Dir, four fatalities in Swat, and one death along with two injuries in Shangla within the province. A search and rescue operation is ongoing under the leadership of Bajaur District Emergency Officer (DEO) Amjad Khan, Faizi highlighted. Relief efforts by the Pakistan Army are also actively progressing in the flood-hit regions of Swat and Bajaur, aiding in the relocation of residents from flooded zones to more secure locations. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Amin Ali Gandapur has called for the deployment of all available means to support rescue and relief endeavors, instructing the Commissioner of Malakand and the Deputy Commissioner of Bajaur to oversee operations in person. In Gilgit-Baltistan, located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), eight individuals have perished, and two others have gone missing due to flash floods striking Ghizer district, according to officials. The floods have damaged over a dozen houses, several vehicles, schools, and health units, causing obstructions on key routes such as the Karakoram Highway and Baltistan Highway at multiple locations. The northeastern Neelum Valley is also enduring major disruptions, prompting authorities to relocate tourists to safety. More than 600 tourists who had been camping at the Ratti Gali lake base were urged to stay put as the connecting road sustained damage. Flash floods also swept away two connecting bridges over Lawat Nullah, while the swollen Jagran Nullah demolished a bridge in Kundal Shahi. A picturesque riverside restaurant and at least three residences in the vicinity were also obliterated. In the Jhelum Valley, a flash flood triggered by a cloudburst over Palhot inflicted damage on part of the road, resulting in dozens of vehicles becoming stranded. As the Neelum River's levels rapidly increased, authorities sounded a flood warning and are strategizing to relocate families most at risk along the riverbanks. In PoK's Muzaffarabad district, a catastrophic landslide in Sarli Sacha village struck a household, leaving six family members feared buried under the debris. Meanwhile in Sudhnoti district, a 26-year-old man succumbed after being carried away by a stream, whereas in Bagh district, a 57-year-old woman met her end as her house collapsed. Since the onset of the monsoon season in late June, torrents of rain have unleashed chaos throughout the nation — particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and its northern territories — instigating lethal floods, landslides, and displacements, chiefly affecting vulnerable, inadequately drained, or densely populated regions. The cumulative death toll, from then until Thursday, has surpassed 325, including 142 children, as per the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
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