Heavy rains and flash floods in northwestern Pakistan have killed hundreds of people and caused widespread destruction.
Points of attention
- Over 300 people have been killed in northwestern Pakistan due to heavy rains and flash floods, causing significant destruction.
- Rescue operations are facing challenges due to adverse weather conditions, resulting in additional casualties among rescuers.
- Extreme weather events like these floods are increasingly linked to climate change, emphasizing the urgent need for global environmental action.
Over 300 people killed in Pakistan floods
As of August 16, 307 people have died due to heavy rains and floods in the mountainous regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Buner, Swat and Bajor districts.
In Buner, 184 deaths were confirmed after a sudden storm caused flash flooding. In Bajor, the Saidullah family died when lightning struck their house, causing the roof to collapse.
Rescue operations are being hampered by difficult weather conditions. During one mission, five rescuers died after a helicopter crashed. Local authorities report numerous missing people and significant damage to infrastructure.
Meteorologists link such extreme weather events to climate change and insufficiently efficient water resources management.
The flood was one of the worst natural disasters in the region in recent years. The Pakistani government has declared a national mourning period, and the international community has already expressed its readiness to provide humanitarian assistance.
Parts of neighboring India and Nepal have also been badly affected by heavy rains, floods and other rain-related incidents over the past week.
On August 15, a rescue helicopter crashed due to bad weather, killing five crew members.
