TLE DESK: The search for survivors grew ever more desperate on Sunday as rescuers clawed through mud and boulders in northern Pakistan, following flash floods that have killed at least 344 people, with more than 150 still unaccounted for.
Days of relentless monsoon rains have triggered flooding and landslides across the country, sweeping away entire villages and leaving communities buried under rubble.
The worst devastation has been in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where 317 lives were lost. In Buner district alone, officials reported at least 208 deaths and said “10 to 12 entire villages” were partially buried.
“They could be trapped under the rubble of their homes or swept away by floodwaters,” said Asfandyar Khattak, head of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority. In nearby Shangla, dozens more remain missing.
Despite the deployment of some 2,000 rescuers across nine districts, their efforts have been slowed by rain, mudslides and damaged roads. “The chances of those buried under the debris surviving are very slim,” admitted Bilal Ahmad Faizi, spokesman for the rescue agency.
Across Buner, AFP journalists witnessed scenes of devastation – half-buried cars, homes caked in mud, shops stripped bare. Power, cut for days, was only restored on Sunday afternoon.
For many, grief is overwhelming. Grave digger Qaiser Ali Shah said he had dug 29 graves in two days. “I have also dug six graves for children. With each grave, it felt as though I was burying my child. Today I had to stop – my body simply refused to carry me further.”
Villagers spent the day salvaging what they could. Shopkeeper Noor Muhammad, shovelling sludge from what was once his store, said: “The shops have been destroyed along with everything else. Even the little money people had has been washed away.”
In Buner, mass funerals were held on Saturday. Rows of bodies, wrapped in blood-stained white cloth, were laid on the ground as villagers prayed in silence.
The provincial government has declared Buner, Bajaur, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra and Battagram disaster zones.
Pakistan’s meteorological office has warned that the monsoon rains are set to intensify in the coming days. “The intensity of this year’s monsoon is around 50 to 60 percent more than last year,” said Lieutenant General Inam Haider, head of the national disaster agency. Two or three more heavy spells are expected before early September.
International messages of sympathy have begun arriving. Iran offered assistance, while Pope Leo XIV called for prayers “for all those who suffer because of this calamity”.
But for those in the flood-hit valleys, survival remains the only concern. “Our entire poor community has been affected… this road was our only path, and it too has been washed away,” said Buner resident Syed Wahab Bacha.
Schoolteacher Saifullah Khan, 32, spent Saturday helping to pull bodies from the ruins. “I helped retrieve the children I taught,” he said softly. “I keep wondering what kind of trial nature has imposed on them.”
