Key points
- Flash floods kill nearly 400 across northern Pakistan
- Buner district worst hit, over 200 confirmed dead
- UN ready to assist if Pakistan requests help
ISLAMABAD: United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep sorrow at the tragic loss of lives following devastating flash floods in Pakistan.
A statement issued by his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said the Secretary-General stands in solidarity with those affected by this disaster, according to Radio Pakistan.
He said the world body stands ready to assist should it be requested.
Pakistan is bracing for another spell of heavy monsoon rains as devastating floods and landslides have killed nearly 400 people, mostly in the northern areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Authorities have warned of further heavy downpours in the coming days, raising fears of urban flooding in major cities, swollen rivers, and more destruction in remote districts.
Heavy rains
Heavy rains are forecast in districts including Peshawar, Swat, Mansehra, Charsadda, Nowshera, and Dera Ismail Khan until at least Tuesday. Similar conditions are expected in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and other parts of Punjab.
The weather department has also warned of flash floods in mountain streams and landslides in hilly areas, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Buner district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the worst affected, with over 200 deaths confirmed. Hundreds more have been injured, while nearly 340 houses have been damaged or destroyed, authorities said.
