Flash flooding in Pakistan’s northern areas has claimed at least 222 lives, with 210 fatalities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 12 in Gilgit-Baltistan, according to provincial officials and disaster management authorities. The monsoon-triggered floods, landslides, and displacements have caused widespread destruction since late June, particularly in vulnerable and densely populated areas.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority reported that Buner district suffered the highest toll with 91 deaths, while Bajaur, Battagram, Shangla, and Mansehra each recorded more than 10 fatalities. The victims in KP include 184 men, 14 women, and 12 children. In total, 68 homes, three schools, and 16 other structures have been destroyed, with 49 homes lost in Swat alone.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said all departments are engaged in rescue efforts, monitored from a control room at CM House in Peshawar. Relief funds totalling Rs500 million have been allocated to the worst-hit districts, with Rs150m for Buner, Rs100m each for Bajaur, Battagram, and Mansehra, and Rs50m for Swat. Heavy machinery has been deployed to clear blocked roads, while provincial lawmakers are coordinating directly with local authorities. The chief minister urged public cooperation and pledged full restoration of damaged infrastructure.
Tragedy struck when one of two provincial government helicopters deployed for rescue missions crashed in bad weather while delivering supplies to Bajaur. Two pilots and three crew members were killed. The government declared a day of mourning, with flags to be flown at half-mast, and announced the martyrs would be buried with full honours.
The KP Health Department has declared a health emergency in Buner, Swat, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Bajaur, and Mohmand to prevent disease outbreaks. All healthcare staff have been placed on high alert, leaves cancelled, and hospitals instructed to set up flood control rooms to ensure medicine availability and daily situation reporting.
In Gilgit-Baltistan, flash floods in Daen village swept away homes, while tourists remain stranded due to road blockages. Power outages have affected Skardu after water entered the local power station. In Azad Jammu and Kashmir, bridges, homes, and water mills have been washed away, with more than 700 tourists rescued from Ratti Gali.
The disaster management authority has warned that heavy rain is likely to continue intermittently until 21 August, prompting intensified rescue operations and safety precautions in flood-prone districts.
