PESHAWAR: Torrential rains and flash floods over the past two days have claimed the lives of at least 18 people and left several others missing in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, triggering emergency efforts and fresh warnings for more rain ahead.
As per the statement released by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority on Wednesday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone has reported 13 deaths due to rain-related incidents in the last 48 hours.
Among those who lost their lives were nine children, three women, and a man. Three other individuals, including two children and one woman, were injured.
Initial damage assessments by the PDMA show that 19 houses across the province have been affected, out of which 17 were partially damaged and two were destroyed.
The reported incidents came from various districts, including Swat, Buner, Bajaur, Torghar, Upper Kohistan, Mardan, Kurram, Haripur, Mansehra, Upper Chitral, Malakand, and Shangla.
Swat has been the worst hit, where flash floods and a house collapse took the lives of six children and a woman, while another woman and a child were injured. In Buner, three deaths were reported due to severe rain and lightning.
One woman and her child died after being struck by lightning, while floodwaters swept away an eight-year-old boy. “The dead body has been recovered by the locals,” confirmed the PDMA.
In Bajaur, heavy rain led to the deaths of two brothers aged 21 and five. “Their mother was successfully rescued while the bodies of both brothers were recovered,” according to the Bajaur Deputy Commissioner’s Office.
In Upper Kohistan, a woman died after the roof of her home gave in under the rain. In Torghar, a child was injured in a similar incident.
In Gilgit-Baltistan, flash floods in the Babusar area have created a critical situation. Around 10 to 15 people are still missing, feared swept away by the floodwaters. Authorities have advised tourists to delay any travel plans to the region.
Spokesperson for the Gilgit-Baltistan government, Faizullah Faraq, confirmed the widespread damage in a televised interview, adding that all stranded tourists along the Babusar route had been rescued and were now being housed for free with the help of hotel owners and local administration.
Access to Naran and Kaghan is completely blocked, while two significant sections of the Karakoram Highway remain closed, leaving many travellers stranded. The Silk Route is open for light vehicles, and repairs toward Bisham are underway.
Faraq has requested citizens to avoid travelling to Gilgit-Baltistan until the weather stabilises. The region’s chief minister is expected to visit the worst-affected areas soon, including Babusar, to oversee relief efforts.
The Director General of the Meteorological Department has warned that more heavy rains are expected in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
He described the loss of lives at Babusar Top as deeply tragic and cautioned about the possibility of more destruction in the coming days.
In Diamer, five people have already lost their lives due to flooding, prompting the authorities to declare a state of emergency.
Rescue operations are still ongoing in Babusar Top, where several tourists were swept away earlier.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department issued a countrywide warning for rain, wind, and thunderstorms, including the likelihood of heavy rainfall that could trigger flash floods, urban flooding, and landslides.
According to the latest forecast, areas including Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan, and northeast Balochistan are likely to receive rain-wind/thundershowers. Southern regions of the country will remain hot and humid.
The Met Office has specifically warned of dangerous weather tonight and throughout Wednesday.
Flash floods are expected in areas such as Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Buner, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi, Mardan, Murree, Galliyat, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Dera Ghazi Khan, northeastern Punjab, and parts of Kashmir.
Urban flooding could impact low-lying parts of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Okara, Nowshera, and Peshawar. Landslides may block roads in the hilly terrains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galliyat, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Strong winds and lightning pose risks to weak structures like rooftops, walls of mud houses, electric poles, vehicles, and solar panels.
In Islamabad, the forecast includes partly cloudy skies with the possibility of rain and thunderstorms, including heavy showers.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is expected to see similar weather in areas like Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Malakand, Peshawar, Mardan, and Waziristan, with heavier rainfall likely in the upper regions.
In Punjab, districts such as Rawalpindi, Murree, Chakwal, Sialkot, and Lahore are likely to experience thundershowers, while other parts like Faisalabad, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Multan may see scattered rain.
Sindh will continue to face mostly hot and humid conditions, though some coastal regions may get light rain.
In Balochistan, hot and humid weather is expected in most areas, while certain regions like Zhob, Khuzdar, and Lasbella might get occasional showers.
Meanwhile, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are expected to face more rain and thunderstorms, with the potential for heavy rainfall in certain areas.