ISLAMABAD: The death toll from devastating floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains has climbed to 660 across the country, with reports of casualties and widespread destruction pouring in from all provinces and regions.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP registered the highest fatalities at 392, followed by Punjab with 164, Gilgit Baltistan (GB) with 32, Sindh with 29, Balochistan with 20, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) with 15, and Islamabad Capital Territory with 8, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Among the victims, 394 were men, 95 women, and 171 children. The total number of injured has reached 935, most of them in Punjab (582), while 245 were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 40 in Sindh, 37 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 24 in AJK, 4 in Balochistan, and 3 in Islamabad.
At least 935 people have been injured nationwide — 582 in Punjab, 245 in KP, 40 in Sindh, 37 in GB, four in Balochistan, 24 in AJK and three in ICT.
Housing losses are also widespread, with a total of 2,478 houses damaged. KP has reported 500 partially and 212 fully destroyed homes. In Sindh, 54 homes were partially and 33 fully damaged.
GB has recorded 229 partially and 368 fully destroyed houses, while in AJK 567 houses were partially and 152 completely destroyed. In ICT, 64 homes were partially damaged and one fully destroyed.
Punjab reported 215 partial and one complete destruction. In Balochistan, 69 houses were partially and 13 fully damaged, bringing the total to 82.
Heavy rains, landslides
Widespread devastation was reported across KP, including Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi and Abbottabad, after torrential rains triggered flash floods and landslides.
In Swabi, a cloudburst swept away 15 people along with vehicles, while water entered houses. Two individuals drowned in Colonel Sher stream, with search efforts ongoing. Landslides blocked roads, and locals demanded air evacuation of the injured.
Mardan saw large neighbourhoods submerged, with water entering streets, homes and shops. In Abbottabad, multiple roads and areas were flooded, while landslides struck Galiyat.
In Havellian, a pickup truck was washed away. In Peshawar, continuous rain caused drains to overflow, houses to flood and a school wall to collapse. In Karak, floods cut off land connectivity.
In Buner, schools were washed away, leaving behind scattered books and broken furniture. Relief operations were hampered by rain, with fears that a temporary bridge may collapse.
Emergency medicines were dispatched as Buner alone recorded 217 deaths. In Pir Baba, floods of water and stones destroyed half of Bishunai village, erasing homes and shops. Over 60 missing people are feared buried under rocks carried by the floods.
Meanwhile, the bodies of those martyred in a KP helicopter crash were sent to their native towns — two to Lahore, one to Talagang, one to Swabi and one to Abbottabad.
Lieutenant Colonel (retd) Shahid Sultan’s funeral was scheduled for today. The crash during a rescue mission on Friday killed five, including two pilots and crew. The helicopter’s black box was recovered a day earlier.
Torrential rains hit Punjab
In Punjab, three hours of heavy rainfall submerged low-lying areas of Chakwal and Kallar Kahar, tripping several feeders. The water level rose in Nala Ghabir, cutting off roads, while government schools in Khushab were flooded.
In Rajanpur, rains lashed the Koh Suleman range, leading to flooding in Nala Kaha Sultan. Rising water levels in the Indus River at Rajanpur forced evacuations from katcha areas. At Taunsa, villages were submerged, with irrigation authorities warning a massive flood wave would enter Dera Ghazi Khan today.
In AJK, Dr Gul Lala, a lecturer at Poonch University in Rawalakot, was swept away with her car in Nala Tarar. Police said her vehicle got stuck before being washed away by strong currents. Search efforts are underway.
In Athmuqam Grace Valley, a car plunged into the Neelum River, killing five. Police said heavy rains were hampering rescue operations.
Relief, government response
KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur announced donations from salaries: one month’s pay from the CM, 15 days from cabinet members, seven days from provincial lawmakers, two days from officers in grade 17 and above, and one day from lower staff.
He said a special PDMA account would ensure transparency, with every rupee accounted for and details shared with the public. He also directed the deputy commissioner of Swabi to supervise rescue operations.
The federal government ordered ministers to reach affected areas of KP, AJK and GB within 24 hours to monitor relief operations.
Federal Minister Musadik Malik said the centre would work with provincial governments without discrimination and promised all roads would reopen within 24 hours.
He urged evacuations from areas lying in stormwater paths, stressing these were torrents, not streams. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the prime minister had declared rehabilitation of flood victims a national duty, adding the country would overcome this calamity together.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also pledged the federal government’s complete support for flood-hit communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, announcing the donation of one month’s salary from the federal cabinet to aid relief efforts.
Chairing a meeting to review ongoing relief efforts by the federal government in flood-affected areas of KP, GB, and AJK, the prime minister directed the federal institutions to intensify efforts to assist rain and flood-affected people in various districts of KP.
“In this hour of calamity, there is no federal or provincial government; we must ensure the assistance and rehabilitation of affected people,”the prime minister said, adding that “Helping our distressed Pakistani brothers and sisters is our national responsibility”. –Agencies
