At least 225 people have died in the last two days as heavy monsoon rains caused flash floods across northern Pakistan, the disaster authority said on Saturday.
Most of the deaths, 211, were reported in the hilly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Nine people died in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and five in Gilgit-Baltistan. Many were killed when floods swept through or when their houses collapsed. Another 21 people were injured.
The weather office has issued a fresh alert for more heavy rain in the northwest and urged people to take precautions.
Six badly affected districts, Buner, Bajaur, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, and Battagram, have been declared disaster-hit areas.
At Least 2,000 Workers Involved in Emergency Operations
The provincial rescue agency said around 2,000 workers are carrying out relief operations and recovering bodies in nine districts.
“Landslides, washed-out roads, and heavy rains are making it very difficult to send help, especially ambulances and heavy machinery,” agency spokesman Bilal Ahmed Faizi told AFP.
He said many rescue workers are walking long distances to reach remote areas. “They are trying to save survivors, but many families are refusing to leave because their loved ones are still trapped under the rubble,” he added.
Officials warned the situation could get worse as more heavy rains are expected in the coming hours.
In 2022, monsoon floods devastated Pakistan, covering one-third of the country and killing 1,700 people, AFP reported.
Earlier this June, 22 people died and 11 were injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to heavy rain, strong winds, floods, and landslides, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).
