358 dead, 181 injured as torrential rains and floods hit Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Peshawar: At least 358 people have died and 181 others injured due to heavy flooding and downpour in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province over the last three days, as the army intensified relief operations in the region, officials said on Tuesday.

Record rains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which started on August 15, have wreaked havoc across the province, bordering Afghanistan.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority said the victims include 287 men, 41 women and 30 children, while the injured comprise 144 men, 27 women and 10 children. Floods have also damaged 780 houses across the province, with 431 partially destroyed and 349 destroyed, it said.

Buner has emerged as the worst-hit district, reporting 225 deaths, while Swat, Bajaur, Mansehra, Shangla, Lower Dir, Battagram and Swabi have also been badly affected.

Shangla district reported 36 deaths from flash floods, while 22 fatalities were recorded in Mansehra, another 22 in Bajaur, and 20 in Swat, where both flash flooding and infrastructure damage claimed lives, Dawn reported.

Last week, the provincial government declared an emergency.

Given the crisis, the provincial government announced the closure of all public and private schools in Swat and across the Malakand division until August 25.

Meanwhile, Army spokesman Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Tuesday said the army had intensified relief operations, rescuing 6,903 people and providing medical support through nine camps in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

He said eight army units were engaged in relief work in the province, while two battalions were operating in Buner. Army Aviation was also assisting in rescue and supply missions.

Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar said that relief activities had been expedited in the affected regions, with the NDMA, Pakistan Army, and federal and provincial governments coordinating closely.

He added that so far, 25,000 people had been relocated to safe areas.

“It has been forecasted that the current cycle of rains will continue intermittently until August 21,” KP PDMA Spokesperson Anwer Shahzad said in a statement.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast thunderstorms and heavy rain in most parts of the country in the next 24 hours, warning of flooding in local streams and nullahs and urban flooding in low-lying areas of Punjab, Islamabad, Peshawar and Sindh.

Rainfall has continued intermittently in Peshawar and other districts, submerging low-lying areas and disrupting traffic. The provincial capital remains under heavy cloud cover, with further rainfall expected as per the PMD.

Citizens have been advised to contact helpline 1700 for weather updates or emergency assistance.