Flash floods caused by an unexpected cloudburst hit the Buner district in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 157 people, including children and women, The Associated Press reported Friday, quoting the country’s disaster officials. Mohammad Suhail, a provincial emergency services spokesperson, said the death toll “may increase as we are still searching for dozens of missing people.”
At least 78 bodies were recovered by midday Friday, and then 79 more during the rest of the day. Houses were ravaged and a state of emergency was declared by the local authorities in the affected areas. Meanwhile, a relief helicopter crashed on its way to the Bajaur region, killing all five on board, according to the report. Pakistan has witnessed 556 rain-related deaths since June 26, the report said.
Cloudburst Kills 60 At J&K Pilgrimage Spot
Around the same time, a cloudburst hit the village of Chositi in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, India, mostly along the Machail Mata pilgrimage trail. Official reports confirmed that at least 60 lives were lost while more than 100 people were reported missing. An estimated 300 individuals were rescued, with 50 of them presumed to have been seriously injured, the report added.
Local authorities expressed fears that additional victims were still under the rubble. The report further stated that the community kitchen, a place where more than 200 pilgrims had congregated, was washed away.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as J&K leaders pledged all help to conduct rescue and relief efforts in an increasingly bad weather.
Climate Change and Risky Development Amplify Disasters
Experts have warned that cloudbursts — sudden deluges causing catastrophic flash floods — are becoming more frequent due to climate change. The scale of destruction is also amplified by haphazard development in the mountainous regions.
In Pakistan, death toll is climbing across Swat, Bajaur and Punjab districts, with total fatalities reportedly exceeding 477, including 140 children. Infrastructure damage includes destroyed homes, roads and thousands of displaced families.
