Rains claim more lives, death toll rises to 400 in KP; Peshawar faces severe urban flooding
Tariq Saeed Peshawar
A powerful cloudburst, accompanied by flash floods and lightning, struck remote mountainous villages in Swabi district on Monday, killing at least 25 people and injuring 35 others, officials said.
The worst-affected areas included Dalori Bala and Sarkoi Payan in the Gadoon Amazai region, where dozens of homes collapsed under the force of floodwaters. Many residents were trapped beneath debris.
Deputy Commissioner Swabi, Nasrullah Khan, said, “In Dalori Bala alone, 20 people have died, including women, children, and the elderly. The total death toll in the area has reached 25. The fresh spell of monsoon Monday claimed more lives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa taking the toll to almost four hundred with several hundreds other wounded seriously and thousands rendered homeless.
While hectic rescue and rehabilitation activities are going on in the nine most affected districts of the KP, more bodies swept away by the gushing waters were found Monday. With the fresh deaths and recovery of more bodies, the death toll has crossed 400 in the province with some credible sources including the senior government functionaries apprehending the toll of those eaten up by the recent devastation may be much higher then the official figures released so far.
On the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, NDMA continues to assist the KP government and PDMA in relief operations in KP floods affected areas. Relief supplies have been dispatched to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by NDMA, the Armed Forces and welfare organizations. The relief consignment sent on Monday to Buner included tents, blankets, 7KVA generators, dewatering pumps, ration bags and medicines.
The Deputy Commissioner Swabi said the flow of water was extremely fast due to the cloudburst adding that machinery and rescue teams have been dispatched to clear blocked routes. DC said 12 houses were completely submerged as heavy water flow swept through the village. The powerful torrents caused significant destruction, leaving many families stranded.
According to initial reports, multiple casualties are feared as houses collapsed under the pressure of water.
Being a mountainous region, Dalori Gadoon also experienced landslides at several points, further complicating rescue operations. Roads leading to the affected areas were partially blocked, delaying relief efforts. Moreover, a landslide in Bada Gadoon resulted in vehicles being buried under the debris. Several vehicles were trapped due to heavy rocks and mudslides, as per local sources. The Officials said.
In Mardan, heavy showers drenched the city and its outskirts, while Nowshera recorded thunderous rainfall across different localities. According to hospital sources, two women and two children died and seven people were injured when the roof of a house collapsed in the Sarkoi Payan area of Swabi. In Swat’s Mingora, torrential downpours paralysed daily life, while nearby Malakand also recorded significant rainfall.
In Nowshera’s Chakki Mamrez area, tragedy struck when a room roof caved in during the downpour, killing a husband and wife. Kurram district headquarter Parachinar also witnessed flash floods that swelled streams and the Kurram River, damaging roads and embankments. Officials confirmed.
The provincial capital Peshawar faced severe urban flooding after intermittent rain since Sunday night that continued till Monday morning. Overflowing drains inundated many localities including busiest Saddar Bazaar and University Road.
In the badly devastated Buner district of Malakand where over 200 hundred deaths were recorded, relief operations faced major hurdles, with volunteers struggling to reach affected villages as a makeshift bridge connecting a cut-off settlement risked collapse.
Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur chaired a high-level meeting on Monday to review relief and rehabilitation efforts in flood-hit districts. The meeting was attended by the Finance Adviser, Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary (Home), administrative secretaries, and PDMA officials.
The provincial government has released Rs. 1.5 billion for relief activities and another Rs.1.5 billion for restoring damaged infrastructure. Additional staff and medical teams have been deployed in affected districts. It was informed that so far, 100 damaged roads have been cleared with heavy machinery, over 23,000 ready-to-eat food packs have been distributed, and essential items including 2,860 tents, 6,100 mattresses, 2,700 hygiene kits, 4,300 kitchen sets, 3,100 tarpaulins, 7,400 mosquito nets, 6,800 blankets, and 500 gas cylinders have been delivered.
The meeting was apprised that compensation for fatalities and injuries is being disbursed in the first phase, while surveys are underway to assess property, livestock, and business losses. The Chief Minister directed that all compensation payments be completed swiftly and that surveys be finalized with accurate data collection. He emphasized replacing food handouts with cash support so victims can meet their own urgent needs, stressing that payments will be made through a transparent, NADRA-verified mechanism. Gandapur also ordered that district administrations face no shortage of funds and that resources be made available immediately when required.
