Flash flooding across northwest Pakistan has claimed at least 220 lives, authorities have confirmed.
The past 48 hours have witnessed devastating deluges sweep through parts of the nation, washing away dozens of homes whilst emergency teams desperately hunt for survivors.
In India-controlled Kashmir, rescue workers combed through the remote settlement of Chositi in Kishtwar district on Saturday, seeking dozens of missing residents after flash floods struck two days prior, claiming 60 lives and leaving around 150 wounded, with approximately 50 in critical condition.
Pakistani authorities revealed that since Thursday, rescue teams have evacuated more than 3,500 tourists stranded in flood-affected regions.
Numerous travellers have disregarded government advisories against visiting vulnerable areas in the north and northwest, reports The Mirror.
Emergency workers retrieved 63 additional bodies overnight from dwellings destroyed by flash floods and landslides.
One witness, who fled the torrents in Buner, recounted witnessing floodwaters carrying hundreds of boulders and “tons of rocks” thundering downhill.
Hundreds of rescue personnel continue scouring for survivors in Buner, amongst several locations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where heavy downpours and cloudbursts triggered catastrophic flooding on Friday, according to Mohammad Suhail, an emergency services spokesman.
Dozens of properties were swept away.
Emergency responders have been attempting to retrieve bodies from the hardest-hit settlements of Pir Baba and Malik Pura, where the majority of casualties occurred, stated Kashif Qayyum, a deputy commissioner in Buner. Local police officer Imtiaz Khan, who narrowly escaped the deluges, said floodwaters carrying hundreds of boulders struck and flattened homes within minutes.
“A stream near Pir Baba village in Buner swelled without warning. At first, we thought it was a normal flash flood, but when tons of rocks came crashing down with the water, 60 to 70 houses were swept away in moments,” Khan told The Associated Press, adding that many bodies were left mutilated.
“Our police station was washed away too and if we hadn’t climbed to higher ground, we would not have survived,” Khan said.
Pakistan’s Meteorological Department has forecast devastating downpours in the coming days and cautioned that monsoon conditions were expected to worsen from Sunday, particularly across northern and northwestern regions.
Pakistani officials, including the prime minister and president, expressed their sympathies to bereaved families and confirmed they were praying for the swift recovery of those injured.
Mourners gathered for mass funerals on Saturday, whilst authorities distributed tents and food supplies to residents in Buner.
