Key points
- Homes, roads, and farmland destroyed by landslides, floods
- Over 700 tourists stranded in AJK’s Ratti Gali
- Climate change blamed for worsening monsoon devastation
ISLAMABAD: At least 78 people, including women and children, have died as torrential monsoon rains triggered flash floods and landslides across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Geo News reported on Friday citing rescue officials.
KP’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority reported 60 deaths in the past 24 hours, mainly in mountainous regions. Bajaur saw the highest toll with 21 fatalities. Other casualties were recorded in Buner, Lower Dir, Battagram, Swat, and Shangla.
However, the Buner deputy commissioner has claimed that at least 75 people were killed in Buner district only due to heavy rains and flash floods.
“So far, the bodies of 56 people have been transferred to hospital,” the deputy commissioner added.
بونیر سیلاب سے شدید متاثر — سب کچھ پانی میں بہہ گیا۔🥺#flood #emergency #disaster #care #Alkhidmat #KPK #StayAlert pic.twitter.com/rvbnPA9cih
— Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan (@AlkhidmatOrg) August 15, 2025
In GB, 10 people died due to landslides and flooding. Several houses were buried in Ghizer’s Khalthi Valley, with three individuals still missing. Floods in Diamer and Ghizer damaged homes, schools, roads, and farmland. A bridge collapse in Kohistan also disrupted traffic on the Karakoram Highway.
Testing time
Emergency measures were declared in several GB regions, with the government directing rescue teams to stay on high alert. “This is a testing time,” said GB spokesperson Faizullah Faraq.
AJK also reported at least eight deaths, including six from one family following a cloudburst in Muzaffarabad’s Naseerabad.
Flooding swept through Bagh, Bhimbar, and Neelum Valley, damaging over 30 properties and cutting off mobile services in remote areas.
The AJK government held an emergency meeting, announcing relocation efforts, financial aid for victims, and school closures on 15–16 August.
Stranded tourists
Over 700 tourists, including many women and children, remain stranded in Ratti Gali due to damaged roads. Authorities are providing shelter with local help.
This year’s monsoon season has caused widespread destruction across Pakistan, claiming over 300 lives, mainly due to house collapses, flash floods, and electrocutions.
Experts warn that climate change is intensifying such extreme weather events. Pakistan, among the most climate-vulnerable nations, continues to experience increasingly severe monsoon impacts.
