Staff Correspondent
Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority has confirmed 307 flood-related deaths, including 21 in Azad Kashmir and 286 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Torrential rains on Friday caused catastrophic damage to roads, bridges, buildings, and power infrastructure across affected regions. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone, 11 homes were completely destroyed and 63 others damaged, with Swat district bearing the brunt of destruction. Meteorological officials warn heavy rainfall may continue through August 21 in multiple districts.
Rescue Helicopter Crash Compounds Tragedy
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government declared a day of mourning Saturday after an MI-17 helicopter crashed during rescue operations, killing five crew members. Emergency teams have evacuated 2,071 stranded individuals in Buner district, including 300 schoolchildren. “We’ve deployed helicopters to reach remote areas and declared district-wide emergencies,” said Deputy Commissioner Kashif Kayyum. The floods have washed away livestock, destroyed a mosque in Gokhand, and severed multiple road connections, with the full scale of damage still being assessed.
Infrastructure Collapse Leaves Thousands Powerless
Swat district faces a complete power blackout after floodwaters inundated a 132kV grid station, disabling 41 feeders. Peshawar Electric Supply Company has mobilized teams to restore electricity as transformers and transmission towers were swept away. In Mansehra district, police rescued seven tourists trapped near Simul Lake due to landslides, while the administration banned tourism in Siren Valley as the Indus and Kunhar rivers reached dangerous levels. Continuous rains have triggered multiple landslides, temporarily blocking key highways before clearance operations restored traffic.