Massive Floods In Pakistan Have Killed Over 300 People And Left Over 200 Others Missing
"It was like a doomsday scenario," a witness from Buner said.
Massive floods and heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan have killed more than 300 people and forced hundreds of others from their homes in recent days.
Heavy rains began in late June, leading to intense flash floods that have wreaked havoc, primarily in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The unprecedented rainfall has led to massive landslides, destruction of homes and devastation of critical infrastructure such as roads and bridges, isolating many people.
The district of Buner was worst hit, with more than 200 people killed and more than 200 people remaining missing and villages wiped out overnight.
"It was like a doomsday scenario," a witness from Buner told Reuters.
In one of the deadliest incidents, 24 people from one family were killed in a village when floodwaters swept through their home on the eve of a wedding, according to AP.
Residents said the government failed to warn the residents about the floods, causing casualties and forcing many to flee their homes at the last moment.
“Survivors escaped with nothing,” Mohammad Iqbal, a schoolteacher in another village said. “If people had been informed earlier, lives could have been saved and residents could have moved to safer places.”
The government said that while an early warning system was in place, the sudden downpour in Buner was so intense that the deluge struck before residents could be alerted, adding that Pakistan was experiencing shifting weather patterns because of climate change.
Rescue and relief efforts continue with both civilian and military teams involved, but officials have warned of further heavy rains and potential landslides.
Neighboring areas, including Pakistan-administered Kashmir, have also suffered from deadly floods recently.
Since June, at least 507 people have been killed and more than 700 others have been injured in rain-related incidents in Pakistan, according to the National Disaster Management Agency.
In 2022, a record-breaking flood in the country killed nearly 1,700 people and destroyed millions of homes.
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