With over 200 reported missing and more than 300 dead due to severe flooding, rescue efforts in north-west Pakistan face dire challenges as inclement weather continues to wreak havoc in the region. Roads are severely damaged, complicating recovery efforts in the hardest-hit areas.
Catastrophic Flooding Leaves Over 200 Missing in Pakistan's Buner District
Catastrophic Flooding Leaves Over 200 Missing in Pakistan's Buner District
Rescue operations struggle amidst relentless monsoon rains as death toll rises in both Pakistan and Kashmir.
More than 200 individuals remain unaccounted for in the Buner district of north-west Pakistan following catastrophic flooding and landslides triggered by relentless monsoon rains, according to local officials. The flash floods have resulted in over 300 fatalities across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, predominantly affecting the mountainous region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
A spokesperson from the deputy commissioner's office in Buner, Jehangir Khan, reported that at least 209 people are still missing, with concerns that this number may climb as rescue operations continue. The tragedy has led to the burial of eight unidentified bodies as no family members have been found to claim them. The spokesperson noted that some families cannot retrieve their deceased relatives due to severely damaged roadways.
A rescue spokesperson confirmed to AFP that "10 to 12 entire villages" have faced partial burial from the landslides. Asfandyar Khattak, the head of the provincial disaster management authority, indicated that multiple individuals are still unaccounted for in the Shangla district as well.
Typically, monsoon rains from June to September account for approximately 75% of South Asia's annual precipitation. However, scientists assert that climate change is intensifying both the frequency and severity of these weather occurrences. This year's extensive rainfall has additionally affected Indian-administered Kashmir, where flash floods have killed around 60 people just days prior. The situation remains grim, with at least nine reported dead in Pakistan-administered Kashmir this week, along with five in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region.
Forecasts from government meteorologists predict heavy rainfall to persist in the north-west until August 21, as several areas have already been designated disaster zones. Since the commencement of this year's monsoon season in June, Pakistan has wrestled with considerable destruction, accumulating a total of at least 650 fatalities thus far. July saw Punjab province, which houses nearly half of Pakistan's 255 million residents, experiencing a staggering 73% increase in rainfall compared to the previous year, resulting in more deaths than the entirety of last year's monsoon season.
Northern Pakistan is also characterized by its extensive glaciers; however, the effects of climate change are causing these ice masses to rapidly recede, potentially endangering stability in mountain areas. While the precise causes of the recent floods and landslides remain under investigation, glaciologists cite ice melt as a likely contributing factor.
