Particle.news
Download on the App Store
278 ARTICLES
·
7h ago

Monsoon Cloudbursts and Floods Kill Over 360 in Northern Pakistan and Kashmir

Relief efforts are stalling on washed-out mountain roads under relentless downpours, with meteorologists warning the heavy rain will persist into late August.

Image
Image
Image
The bus driver might have dozed off while crossing Surwaya, lost control of the vehicle, police said. (Representative photo)

Overview

  • Provincial disaster authorities report at least 307 fatalities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah confirmed 60 deaths from a cloudburst in Kishtwar district.
  • Districts including Buner, Shangla and Bajaur have been declared disaster-hit, with Buner bearing the highest local toll of 184 lives lost.
  • Army units, provincial disaster agencies, NDRF and SDRF teams have rescued thousands but face severe access challenges as landslides and flooded passes block heavy equipment.
  • An MI-17 helicopter delivering relief to Bajaur crashed in Mohmand district due to bad weather, killing all five crew members and complicating aid delivery.
  • World Weather Attribution and regional meteorologists say climate change has made monsoon downpours 10–15% heavier, increasing the frequency of destructive cloudbursts.