DEVASTATING FLOODS IN PAKISTAN LEAVE ALMOST 200 DEAD

Fri 15 August 2025:

At least 194 people were killed and 28 others injured in rain-related accidents across Pakistan in the past 24 hours, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said Friday.

The northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was the worst hit, reporting 180 deaths, followed by Pakistan-controlled Kashmir with nine fatalities and the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region with five, according to the NDMA.

Officials said the casualties were caused by flash floods, landslides and house collapses triggered by heavy monsoon rains in northern and northwestern areas.

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Flash floods also damaged roads, bridges, houses, schools, water tanks and agricultural land, Faizullah Faraq, a spokesman for the GB government said.

The official said that several people are missing, and rescue teams are conducting search operations despite challenging conditions, adding that emergency measures are in place in several areas, with authorities remaining on high alert.

Worst hit was the Buner area, where floods and heavy rain caused 100 deaths, the provincial chief secretary, Shahab Ali Shah, told Reuters.

A helicopter carrying relief supplies to those hit by flooding in Bajaur, close to the Afghan border, crashed due to the bad weather, killing the five crew members.

In the district of Swat, more than 2,000 people were moved to safer ground, after rivers and streams swelled, rescue officials said.

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif chaired an emergency meeting to review the flood situation caused by the recent rains, a statement from his office said.

Expressing grief over the loss of lives, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said that all the necessary relief measures are being taken for the assistance and rehabilitation of those affected.

Since late June, seasonal rains have claimed more than 500 lives nationwide in Pakistan, official data showed.

Heavy rains and floods in Pakistan in 2025 stem from a mix of natural and human factors, intensified by climate change. Erratic monsoon patterns, worsened by global warming, dump weeks’ worth of rain in hours, overwhelming rivers and drainage systems.

Pakistan’s 7,000+ glaciers in Gilgit-Baltistan are melting rapidly due to record-high temperatures, causing glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) that devastate downstream areas. Poor urban planning, with cities like Lahore and Rawalpindi lacking adequate drainage, leads to severe urban flooding.

Deforestation and illegal construction on riverbanks remove natural barriers, amplifying flash floods. Governance failures, like outdated infrastructure and inadequate disaster preparedness, exacerbate the crisis.

Pakistan, despite contributing less than 1% to global emissions, faces disproportionate climate impacts, with insufficient international aid and slow policy reforms leaving communities vulnerable to recurring disasters.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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