Pakistan floods leave over 300 dead as rescue efforts continue

Pakistan has resumed rescue and relief operations in its flood-hit northwest, where days of relentless rains have left more than 300 people dead and caused widespread devastation, according to Arab News via Reuters on August 18th. 

The National Disaster Management Authority reported that heavy rains, which began on August 15th, have swept across northern districts, with most deaths caused by flash floods. In mountainous regions, rainfall triggered mudslides and rockfalls that destroyed homes, infrastructure, and vehicles.

The region of Buner has suffered the highest toll, with reports confirming more than 200 deaths. 

Recent downpours have forced emergency teams to pause rescue efforts in Buner and surrounding regions.  

Regional government officer Abid Wazir explained, “Our priority is now to clear the roads, set up bridges and bring relief to the affected people.” 

Authorities have also stressed that reopening blocked routes is essential to ensure food, medicine, and shelter supplies can reach isolated communities. Relief packages have already been dispatched, according to Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.

Officials confirmed that Buner was struck by a rare cloudburst, where more than 100 millimetres of rain falls within an hour in a concentrated area. In this case, over 150 millimetres were recorded on the morning of the 15th alone, overwhelming drainage systems and causing catastrophic flooding.

Meteorologists assert that the crisis is ongoing, with further rainfall expected through early September. 

Irfan Virk, deputy director of the Pakistan Meteorological Department, has previously warned that this year’s monsoon is likely to bring unusually intense rainfall. He said that the risk of flash flooding could rival the devastation of 2022, when catastrophic floods killed over 1,700 people and left nearly a third of the country underwater.

The National Disaster Management Authority cautioned that the weather system “may cause heavy to very heavy rainfall during the next 24 hours.” 

Since late June, monsoon flooding has killed at least 657 people across Pakistan, underscoring the growing human cost of extreme weather events in the region. This disaster is part of a wider pattern of severe weather affecting countries worldwide during the summer of 2025.

Arab news via Reuters, Maghrebi.org