Heavy Monsoon Rains, Flash Floods Claim Over 160 Lives in Pakistan

At least 164 people have been killed in northern Pakistan due to heavy monsoon rains triggering landslides and flash floods, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported on Friday. The majority of the fatalities—150—occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the northwest, with 78 deaths recorded in the severely affected Buner district alone.

The relentless downpours, part of South Asia’s annual monsoon season, have caused widespread destruction, demolishing homes and infrastructure across the region. In Buner, a state of emergency was declared as dozens of people were injured and villages were inundated. Rescuers evacuated 1,300 tourists stranded in the mountainous Mansehra district, where landslides struck on Thursday. At least 35 people remain missing in the area, according to local officials.

Tragedy struck during rescue efforts when a Pakistani military helicopter crashed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to adverse weather conditions, killing all five crew members. Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder, reporting from Islamabad, said the helicopter was deployed to assist in reaching remote, flood-affected areas. “Helicopters are being used to help people in areas that are hard to access,” Hyder noted.

Elsewhere, nine people died in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and five fatalities were reported in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region. The Meteorological Department issued a heavy rain alert for the northwest, urging residents to avoid vulnerable areas to minimize further risk.

### Regional Impact of Monsoon Rains

The monsoon season, which delivers 70 to 80 percent of South Asia’s annual rainfall, is critical for agriculture but frequently brings devastation. Landslides and flash floods are common from June to September, and experts warn that climate change is increasing the intensity and frequency of such disasters in the Himalayan region.

In India-administered Kashmir, rescuers continued searching for survivors on Friday after flash floods and mudslides killed at least 60 people and left 200 missing. The disaster struck the village of Chasoti on Thursday, sweeping away pilgrims gathered for lunch before a trek to a religious site. This marks the second major flood-related incident in the Himalayas in just over a week.

The ongoing crisis underscores Pakistan’s vulnerability to extreme weather events, with the NDMA and local authorities working to provide relief and evacuate those at risk. However, the scale of the destruction and the loss of life highlight the urgent need for improved disaster preparedness and climate resilience in the region.