Peshawar
Rescue operations in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) are underway as emergency teams race against time following catastrophic flash floods triggered by relentless monsoon rains. At least 344 people have been killed in just two days, with 324 fatalities reported in KP alone, while the remaining casualties occurred in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).
More than 2,000 rescue workers have been dispatched to the flood-hit regions, but efforts are hampered by washed-out roads, collapsed bridges, and widespread destruction of infrastructure. Authorities have declared six districts — Buner, Bajaur, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, and Battagram — as disaster zones after thousands of homes were destroyed and key routes cut off.
In many places, rescuers are forced to trek on foot to reach stranded families. Local residents are also joining the effort, digging through debris with bare hands in hopes of finding survivors. In Buner, a schoolteacher described the painful task of recovering the bodies of children he once taught, highlighting the human tragedy unfolding across the region.
In Shangla district, 37 deaths have been confirmed, while dozens remain missing. A government helicopter conducting relief operations in Bajaur crashed, claiming the lives of five more people. Meanwhile, heavy rains have triggered landslides, lightning strikes, and flash floods that swept away livestock, vehicles, and entire communities. Critical roads including Alpuri–Bisham and Alpuri–Chakesar have been rendered impassable, isolating many remote villages from relief supplies.
The Meteorological Department has warned of continued heavy rainfall and urged people to exercise extreme caution. Officials noted that this year’s monsoon began earlier, is more intense, and is expected to last longer than usual. Nationwide, the season has already claimed over 650 lives and left nearly 1,000 injured.
As rescue and relief operations continue, work is also being carried out to reopen damaged routes and deliver aid. KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur is scheduled to visit the affected districts to review the situation and announce further relief measures. – PUNA
