Catastrophic flash floods and landslides have killed over 300 people across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, with entire villages swept away and disaster zones declared amid relentless monsoon rains.
The death toll from heavy monsoon floods and landslides in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir has risen sharply, with 307 people now confirmed dead as rescue operations struggle against harsh weather conditions.
Most of the fatalities were reported in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in north-west Pakistan, where disaster authorities said at least 74 homes have been destroyed. Tragedy struck further when a military rescue helicopter crashed during operations, killing all five crew members.
Nine more people lost their lives in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, while five others were killed in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region. Authorities have declared several districts disaster zones, warning that heavy rainfall is expected until 21 August.
In the Buner district, survivors described scenes of terror as walls of water tore through their communities. One witness, Azizullah, told AFP the floods arrived like “doomsday,” recalling the sound of mountains sliding and the ground trembling. “It felt like death was staring me in the face,” he said.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chief Minister, Ali Amin Gadapur, confirmed that the M-17 helicopter went down due to poor weather while en route to Bajaur, a region bordering Afghanistan. In Bajaur, desperate crowds gathered as excavators searched mud-soaked hills, while funeral prayers began nearby for those killed in the disaster.
A day of mourning has been declared in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Meanwhile, in Indian-administered Kashmir, rescuers pulled bodies from rubble after a Himalayan village was swept away by a sudden flood, killing at least 60 people and leaving dozens missing.
Monsoon rains, which deliver about three-quarters of South Asia’s annual rainfall between June and September, continue to devastate the region. More than 300 people have died in this year’s monsoon season alone, with scientists warning that climate change is making such extreme weather events more frequent and more destructive.
In Punjab province, home to nearly half of Pakistan’s 255 million people, July rainfall was recorded at 73% higher than the previous year, causing more deaths than the entire last monsoon season combined.
The humanitarian crisis has raised alarm across South Asia, as both Pakistan and Kashmir grapple with the deadly consequences of a worsening climate emergency.
