Deadly Flash Flood In Pakistan Kills More Than 300 People

Impact of Pakistani flooding/PHOTO via X @zamannx

JAKARTA - More than 300 people died in Pakistan after two days of heavy rains and floods, local officials said on Saturday.

Efforts to rescue and clean the blocked roads continue. Heavy rains are predicted to occur until August 21.

Heavy rains, flash floods, lightning strikes, landslides, and collapsed buildings caused the deadliest period of the rainy season this year.

As reported by Reuters, as of Saturday, August 16, as many as 307 people were confirmed dead, with more people missing, in hills and mountains in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Agency.

Not only Pakistan, but also parts of neighboring India and Nepal have been hit by heavy rains, floods and other rain-related incidents over the past week.

Buner district, which is three and a half hours away from Pakistan's capital Islamabad, is at normal times, among the country's worst-affected, with 184 deaths and extensive damage to fruit infrastructure, plants, and gardens, local officials said.

Heavy rains, fallen trees, and flash floods swept away people and property.

Residents, including women and children, are still trapped in floods in several Buner areas, with 93 bodies found.

In another area, Shangla, the collapse of the roof of the building due to heavy rains killed many of the 34 people, said the Head of the provincial secretary, Shahab Ali Shah.

Local officials have been deployed to flood-affected areas to oversee relief operations and assess damage.

Medical camps are being built for flood victims, along with food ready-to-eat arrangements for families who have lost their homes.

Shah said heavy equipment would be deployed to clean and restore roads.

Ishaq Dar, deputy prime minister and foreign minister, said the civilian and military teams were carrying out rescue and relief operations, while the prime minister had chaired an emergency meeting.

"We are sorry for the families who have lost loved ones, to those who are injured, and many whose homes and livelihoods have been washed away," Dar said in a statement on social media.

On Friday, a rescue helicopter crashed due to bad weather, killing five of its crew.