Pakistan | Severe floods kill 344 in 48 hours

Arab Weather - The Disaster Management Authority in northwest Pakistan announced on Sunday that floods caused by heavy monsoon rains killed 344 people and injured 137 others in just 48 hours in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, while approximately 150 people remain missing.

The head of the authority, Asfandyar Khattak, explained that the missing people in the Buner district may be trapped under the rubble of their homes or swept away by floods, adding that dozens of others are also missing in the Shangla district.

Rescue teams continued their search operations on Sunday amid heavy rains, mud, and landslides that hampered the arrival of heavy equipment and aid. Floods also destroyed thousands of homes and swept away vehicles, livestock, and major roads and bridges.

The provincial government declared six disaster areas, including Buner, Bajaur, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, and Battagram, resulting in extensive human and material damage. A tragic incident occurred when 24 members of a single family lost their lives after floods swept away their home on the eve of a wedding.

For his part, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed that he was closely monitoring the developments of the disaster, directing the acceleration of relief and rescue operations, the evacuation of those trapped, and the intensification of efforts to locate those missing.