Climate‑induced flash floods have claimed the lives of at least 337 people in northwestern Pakistan, with dozens more still missing, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Residents of Buner district, particularly in remote mountainous areas, have accused officials of failing to issue timely evacuation warnings, despite the onset of torrential rains and cloudbursts. These intense downpours caused rapid landslides and flooding, sweeping away homes, sweeping people into rivers, and causing catastrophic destruction across villages.
Officials from the NDMA defended their response, stating that the cloudbursts were so sudden and severe that no warning system in the world could have anticipated them precisely. They also attributed the extreme weather to shifting monsoon patterns exacerbated by climate change, and noted that rainfall since late June has been significantly above average.
🚨 Pakistan Floods
— GlobeUpdate (@Globupdate) August 16, 2025
320+ dead after torrential rains & flash floods
Hardest-hit: Buner (157 deaths), Swat, Bajaur, Battagram, Shangla, Mansehra, Gilgit-Baltistan & AJK
Rescue ops hampered by washed-out roads & a crashed aid helicopter#Pakistan #flooding #FloodAlert #DeFi pic.twitter.com/lBXTmvybk3
328 dead in cloud burst in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
— Kashmiri Hindu (@BattaKashmiri) August 17, 2025
Where is that lady who said Uttarkashi flood was Allah's punishment to Hindus ? pic.twitter.com/n4u8C6MmsJ
Horrifying footage from S. #Pakistan today of entire building washed away by floods. Over 935 people killed, more than 33 million affected, worst natural disaster for country in decades: pic.twitter.com/aO6ZMlQycf
— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) August 26, 2022
Across affected regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Buner, emergency rescue operations continue, although efforts have been hampered by flooded roads and rapidly evolving weather conditions. With more rainfall forecast in the coming days, authorities are on high alert for further landslides and flooding.
Feature photo source: Al Jazeera
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