At least 657 people have died and nearly 1,000 have been injured in Pakistan since late June due to rain-related incidents caused by unusually heavy monsoon rainfall. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), this year’s monsoon season has brought 50 to 60 percent more rainfall than last year, making it one of the most destructive in recent memory. The worst-hit province is Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where 390 people have lost their lives, including 288 men, 59 children, and 43 women. Other affected regions include Sindh with 28 deaths, Balochistan with 20, Gilgit-Baltistan with 32, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir with 15, and Islamabad with 8 fatalities.
NDMA spokesperson Tayyab Shah warned that heavy rains are expected to continue until August 22, with two to three more monsoon spells likely in September. The devastation has left around 150 people missing in Buner and Shangla districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where flash floods triggered by cloudbursts killed 84 people, including 21 members of a family preparing for a wedding. Rescue operations are ongoing, with five armed forces helicopters deployed and PKR 1.5 billion released for relief activities. Supplies such as food rations, tents, and medicines are being distributed to affected districts under the Prime Minister’s Relief Package.
The impact on infrastructure has been severe, with 61 government schools completely destroyed and 414 others partially damaged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone. In addition, a helicopter crash during a rescue mission in Bajaur resulted in the deaths of all five crew members. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed federal ministers to oversee relief efforts in the worst-affected areas as the country continues to battle the ongoing monsoon havoc.
