Buner floods claim over 270 lives, dozens still missing
File Photo
File Photo
(Web Desk): Massive flash floods caused by torrential rains and unexpected cloudbursts devastated Buner district, killing at least 274 and many others still missing, rescue officials said on Monday.

Based on the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Buner district was the worst-affected district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Mountain torrents razed villages, leveling houses and displacing thousands of people. Huge rocks brought by the floods hit houses with explosive power, leveling entire neighborhoods into rubbles.

Mohammad Suhail, the representative for Pakistan s emergency services, verified that a minimum of 54 bodies were retrieved in Buner alone in the course of continuing search and rescue efforts. "A number of villagers are still missing and our teams are against time searching for survivors where houses were totally destroyed," he stated.

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The villagers called the floods one of the worst acts of nature in the history of their district. "In minutes, the torrents came rushing down from the mountains with stones and mud. We had no time to salvage anything," said a villager who lost his house.

Official warnings of additional heavy rain and potential landslides continued Tuesday, heightening concerns of additional damage in already devastated communities. The monsoon downpours are to last until August 21.

Despite the magnitude of the disaster, officials said foreign aid is not being sought at this time. Relief operations are underway, with emergency response teams working round the clock to recover bodies, rescue survivors, and provide shelter to displaced families.

Since late June, Pakistan has experienced above-average monsoon rains that have killed over 600 people nationwide, but Buner now stands as the epicenter of the tragedy.