PESHAWAR – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is grappling with one of the deadliest flood crises in recent memory, as torrential rains over the past three days have claimed at least 358 lives, authorities said Tuesday, reported by Dawn News. The record downpour, which began on August 15, has unleashed flash floods, roof collapses, and widespread destruction across multiple districts, leaving communities reeling in shock and loss.
Buner, the hardest-hit district, accounted for 225 fatalities, including 193 men, 23 women, and nine children. Other affected areas include Shangla, Swat, Mansehra, Bajaur, and Swabi, where floods and infrastructure collapse have added to the mounting death toll. Across the province, 181 people sustained injuries, while 780 homes were damaged, 349 of them completely destroyed. Livestock losses alone reached 427, compounding the economic toll.
Provincial authorities are racing against time to provide relief. KP’s Adviser to the Chief Minister, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, said around 6,000 personnel have been deployed, 5,210 people evacuated, and Rs3 billion allocated for ongoing rescue and rehabilitation efforts. A mobile app has been launched to provide financial compensation to affected families, while 176 rescue centers are operational, and over 100 previously severed roads have been restored.
The provincial government has also delivered 89 trucks of relief items, including tents, mattresses, hygiene kits, kitchen sets, blankets, and tarpaulins. In addition, 289 medical camps have been established, treating 822 cases of infectious disease so far. To support relief operations, KP’s chief minister, cabinet ministers, assembly members, and government employees have donated portions of their salaries to flood victims.
Meanwhile, the Baltistan Highway, cut off by washed-away bridges, has reopened after joint efforts by the Pakistan Army and Gilgit Baltistan Disaster Management Authority, allowing essential supplies to reach stranded communities. Across Pakistan, other provinces remain on high alert as monsoon rains continue, with Punjab, Balochistan, and Gilgit-Baltistan bracing for additional downpours, landslides, and flooding.
The military has mobilized extensively, deploying engineer brigades, urban search and rescue teams, and medical units, while restoring roads and bridges to ensure aid reaches remote communities. Helicopters, rations, and relief supplies are being delivered around the clock, underscoring the scale of the crisis.
As floodwaters recede, the human and infrastructural toll in KP highlights the vulnerability of Pakistan’s northern regions to increasingly severe monsoon events. Communities are struggling to recover, with authorities urging continued vigilance as more rainfall is forecast in the coming days.
