Death Toll from KP floods Rises to 379

The death toll from devastating floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa climbed to 379 on Sunday, with officials warning that the figure could rise further as dozens remain missing.

According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), at least 156 others were injured in the climate change-induced disaster that wiped out entire villages late last week. Buner has emerged as the worst-hit district, accounting for 274 deaths, followed by Shangla (36), Mansehra (24), Bajaur (21) and Swat (16).

The PDMA said a cloudburst in Buner triggered the deadly flash floods as torrents of water rushed down from the mountains into lower-lying areas, sweeping away homes and settlements.

Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who visited the affected areas in Buner, pledged to rebuild destroyed houses and restore communities. “We will not leave our people alone in this difficult time,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Met Office has issued a fresh warning of heavy to very heavy rains over the next five days, cautioning that flash floods and urban flooding remain a serious risk across parts of the country. Satellite imagery on Sunday evening showed dense clouds over southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, moving towards upper Punjab, including Islamabad, as well as Malakand, Hazara and Kashmir.

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Similar weather patterns were observed over eastern Balochistan, southern Punjab and parts of Sindh. The monsoon spell, the Met Office said, was expected to persist until August 21.

In the next 24 hours, heavy rainfall could trigger flash floods in local streams and nullahs of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pothohar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Koh-i-Suleman and northeastern Balochistan. Urban flooding was also feared in low-lying areas of northeastern Punjab, Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Nowshera and southeastern Sindh.