Monsoon Rains Kill Nearly 200 Across Northern Pakistan

Onlookers gather near a destroyed bridge after flash floods on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, on August 15, 2025.

Landslides and flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains across northern Pakistan have killed at least 199 people in the past 24 hours, officials reported on Friday.

The majority of deaths—180—occurred in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where one resident described the disaster as “doomsday.”

Another nine people died in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, while five were killed in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region. Most fatalities resulted from flash floods and collapsing houses, including 19 women and 17 children. At least 28 others were injured.

Five more people, including two pilots, died when a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government helicopter crashed during a relief mission due to bad weather, the province’s chief minister, Ali Amin Gandapur, said.

The provincial government declared the mountainous districts of Buner, Bajaur, Mansehra, and Battagram as disaster-hit areas.

In Bajaur, near the Afghan border, residents gathered around excavators clearing mud-soaked hills. Funeral prayers were held nearby as people mourned victims covered with blankets.

“I heard a loud noise like the mountain was sliding. The entire area shook as if it were the end of the world,” said Azizullah, a resident of Buner district. “I thought it was doomsday. The ground was trembling, and it felt like death was staring me in the face.”

The meteorological department has issued a heavy rain alert for northwest Pakistan, urging people to avoid vulnerable areas.

In Indian-administered Kashmir, rescuers pulled bodies from mud and rubble after floods hit a Himalayan village, killing at least 60 people and washing away dozens more.

The monsoon season brings three-quarters of South Asia’s annual rainfall, essential for agriculture but often destructive. Landslides and floods are common from June to September.

Officials said this year’s monsoon began early and may extend further, with intensifying rains expected over the next 15 days. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has declared Saturday a day of mourning, with flags at half-mast and state honours for the victims.

Scientists warn that climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent. Pakistan, highly vulnerable to climate impacts, has already suffered over 500 deaths this monsoon season, including 159 children. In July, Punjab recorded 73 percent more rainfall than last year, surpassing previous monsoon casualties.

Monsoon floods in 2022 submerged a third of the country and killed around 1,700 people.