PESHAWAR: The death toll from devastating flash floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) climbed to 307 on Saturday, with Buner district bearing the brunt of the destruction, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said.
The unprecedented rains have also claimed at least 12 lives in Gilgit-Baltistan and nine in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, bringing widespread devastation across northern Pakistan.
The PDMA confirmed that KP alone has recorded 307 deaths over the past 48 hours, the majority in Buner. The breakdown includes 279 men, 15 women and 13 children. Shangla reported 36 deaths, Mansehra 23, Swat 22, Bajaur 21, Battagram 15, Lower Dir five and Abbottabad one.
In neighboring regions, nine people were killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, while five lost their lives in Gilgit-Baltistan. Nationwide, the monsoon-triggered floods have claimed more than 320 lives in the last two days.
Buner: The Epicenter of the Disaster
Buner district has emerged as the worst-hit area, with 184 lives lost in just 48 hours. Officials reported that 93 bodies — all men — were recovered on Saturday alone.
Deputy Commissioner Kashif Qayum Khan confirmed that 30 people remain missing in Chagharzai tehsil, while more than 100 are injured.
Survivors described scenes of chaos as torrential waters swept through villages. “I heard a loud noise as if the mountain was sliding,” Azizullah, a local resident, told AFP news agency. “The ground was trembling due to the force of the water. It felt like death was staring me in the face.”
Infrastructure Damage and Rescue Efforts
The floods have destroyed 63 houses and partially damaged 74 others across KP. Two schools in Swat and one in Shangla were affected, while bridges and rural roads have been washed away. The destruction has cut off entire communities, leaving rescuers struggling to reach survivors and deliver aid.
Around 2,000 rescue workers are engaged in operations across nine affected districts, according to PDMA officials. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi said heavy rainfall, landslides and washed-out roads were making it “significantly challenging” to transport heavy machinery and ambulances.
“Due to road closures in most areas, rescue workers are travelling on foot to conduct operations in remote regions,” he said, adding that many residents were reluctant to evacuate, either due to injuries or because relatives were still trapped under debris.
The Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps have joined the relief efforts in Buner, Swat and Bajaur, deploying helicopters to deliver rations and evacuate stranded families. Additional army contingents have been dispatched, and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has sent a team to Peshawar to coordinate federal and provincial relief work.
Helicopter Crash During Relief Mission
Tragedy struck the relief effort on Friday when a KP government MI-17 helicopter crashed in Mohmand district during a supply mission to flood-hit Salarzai in Bajaur.
All five crew members, including two pilots, were killed. KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said the aircraft lost contact in bad weather before going down in Pandiali tehsil.
The provincial government has declared a day of mourning, with flags at half-mast. “These individuals lost their lives while helping others during this crisis. Their sacrifice will be remembered,” the chief minister said. The crew will be buried with full state honours.
Weather Alerts and Risks
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a heavy rain alert for the northwest, warning of continued downpours in the coming hours and an increased risk of landslides in northern areas. Tourists have been advised to avoid travelling to the region for at least five to six days.
The current monsoon season has been unusually severe. Punjab has recorded 73 percent more rainfall this July compared to last year, while northern provinces have faced repeated cloudbursts and flash floods. Nationwide, more than 600 people have died since the start of the monsoon in June, which officials say began earlier and is expected to last longer than usual.
Pakistan remains one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, experiencing extreme weather events with increasing frequency. In 2022, monsoon floods submerged a third of the country, killing around 1,700 people. Experts warn that shifting rainfall patterns and rising temperatures are intensifying the risk of future disasters.
In Buner, locals continued digging through the rubble overnight in search of missing neighbors. Saifullah Khan, a 32-year-old schoolteacher, told AFP he had helped recover the bodies of several of his students.
“We still have no clear idea who in this small village is alive and who is dead,” he said. “I keep wondering what kind of trial nature has imposed on these kids.”
In Bajaur, mourners gathered in a rain-soaked field for funeral prayers as rescue excavators dug through mud in search of the missing.
Authorities say the relief operation will continue until all affected residents are rescued or relocated to safer areas. With more rain forecast and many mountainous communities still cut off, officials fear the death toll could rise further. The NDMA and PDMA have urged the public to remain cautious, avoid unnecessary travel, and heed evacuation warnings.