At least 32 people have died and dozens are missing after heavy rains triggered flash floods and landslides across Pakistan
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lower Dir, Bajaur, and Abbottabad districts, along with PoK’s Ghizer, Neelum Valley, Jhelum Valley, and Muzaffarabad, suffered the most damage, with multiple villages cut off and key highways blocked.
Authorities have deployed helicopters, emergency teams, and local administrations to lead rescue missions.
At least 32 people have been killed and many remain missing after relentless rains battered Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) over the past 24 hours, unleashing flash floods, landslides, and widespread destruction, officials said on Friday.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, 16 people died and eight were injured as heavy downpours on Thursday night triggered flooding and landslides in Lower Dir, Bajaur, and Abbottabad. In Lower Dir’s Maidan Sori Pao, the collapse of a house roof killed five people and injured four others, including women and children. Rescue workers pulled seven people from the debris, five of them already dead. Officials warned that water levels in the Panjkora River had risen dangerously.
Bajaur district was among the worst-hit, with flash floods and landslides in Jabrari and Salarzai areas causing extensive damage. A cloudburst in Jabrari triggered a massive flood, killing five and injuring several. In Salarzai, nine deaths and two critical injuries were reported. At least 17 people are missing across the district, with rescue efforts led by District Emergency Officer Amjad Khan and supervised by Deputy Commissioner Shahid Ali.
In Mansehra, two people were killed when their car was swept away by a swollen stream on the Kaghan Highway, while three others were rescued. Authorities have warned tourists to avoid unnecessary travel during the ongoing rains.
Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has directed officials to deploy all available resources for relief operations, with special focus on Dir and Swat. A helicopter has been sent to assist in rescue efforts.
In PoK, flash floods claimed eight lives in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Ghizer district, leaving two missing. The disaster damaged over a dozen houses, schools, health units, and vehicles, while blocking key routes, including the Karakoram and Baltistan Highways. In Neelum Valley, more than 600 tourists stranded near Ratti Gali Lake were advised to remain in place after the access road was destroyed. Floodwaters washed away multiple bridges, damaged riverside homes, and swept away a popular restaurant.
Jhelum Valley saw a cloudburst over Palhot, triggering a flash flood that damaged roads and stranded vehicles. Authorities issued a flood warning for the rapidly rising Neelum River, planning to relocate riverside families.
In Muzaffarabad district, a massive landslide buried six members of a family in Sarli Sacha village. Other casualties in PoK included a 26-year-old man swept away in Sudhnoti district and a 57-year-old woman killed in Bagh when her home collapsed.
Authorities remain on high alert as rains continue, with fears that the death toll could rise.
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