At least 323 people have died and 150 are missing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while the nationwide toll has reached 657 since June 26. The NDMA has warned of more heavy rains next month, as Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed ministers to oversee relief efforts. Parts of Gilgit-Baltistan remain cut off with food and utility shortages, though river flows in Punjab have eased to low flood levels.
PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: The devastating floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have left at least 323 people dead, with authorities fearing that more than 150 remain missing, provincial officials confirmed on Sunday. The nationwide death toll from rain-related disasters since late June has now climbed to 657. With meteorologists warning of two to three more heavy rain spells expected in early September, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed members of his federal cabinet to personally oversee relief efforts in the province most severely affected by the disaster.
Addressing reporters on Sunday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Asfandyar Khattak said that according to data compiled by revenue staff in Buner and Shangla districts, about 150 individuals are still unaccounted for. He said that rescue operations were in progress, with five military helicopters placed at the disposal of the provincial government. Accompanied by Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif and Rescue-1122 Director General Muhammad Tayyab Abdullah, Mr. Khattak announced that Rs1.5 billion had been released for relief efforts.
From the initial Rs 500 million allocation, Rs 150m was designated for Buner, Rs 100m for Mansehra, Rs 50m for Bajaur, Rs 40m each for Batagram, Swat, and Shangla, and Rs 10m each for Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan, and Kolai Palas. He added that 33 trucks carrying non-food relief items had already reached Buner, eight had arrived in Swat, and seven in Bajaur, with additional consignments being dispatched to other affected districts.
With the monsoon expected to continue until August 22, NDMA spokesperson Dr. Tayyab Shah cautioned on Sunday that Pakistan could face two to three additional spells of heavy rain in September. He highlighted that this year’s monsoon rainfall has been 50 to 60 percent higher than last year, making the season one of the most destructive in recent memory. According to NDMA data, 657 people have lost their lives and 929 have been injured in rain-related incidents since June 26. Among the victims were 171 children, 94 women, and 392 men. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been hit the hardest, recording 390 deaths, including 288 men, 59 children, and 43 women underscoring the province’s heightened vulnerability to seasonal flooding and related disasters.
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