Pakistan's Provincial Disaster Management Authority reported that the heavy monsoon rains had caused flash flooding in all four provinces of Pakistan and parts of India-controlled Kashmir, killing more than 340 people. The scale of destruction has outstripped the response of rescuers, with some villages buried under mud and debris. The death count is expected to climb higher as reports of missing persons continue to be reported.

The worst-affected area is the Buner area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where at least 208 people died and more than 150 others are still missing. Officials have stated that it is believed that between "10 to 12 entire villages" were either partially buried in landslides and floodwaters. "They could be trapped under the debris of their homes or washed away in the floods," Asfandyar Khattak, head of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority stated.

Villages Wiped off 

Rescue spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi told AFP that recovery efforts were ongoing but extremely difficult, with debris blocking access to remote areas. “Entire villages have been wiped out,” he said. In Buner’s Chagharzi area, massive destruction has left little standing, while the village of Bashoni has “completely disappeared from the map,” according to Ikhtiar Wali Khan, the Prime Minister’s coordinator for KP affairs.

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“There is still concern that dozens of people may be trapped under rubble,” Faizi warned, adding that survival chances were “very less.”

Mass Funerals And Worsening Conditions

In several districts, including Dir and Shangla, officials reported dozens more missing. With overflowing rivers and collapsed homes, thousands of survivors are now without shelter. “Mass burials are taking place,” Khan told ARY News. “I have returned from Buner with a heavy heart after witnessing this disaster with my own eyes.”

Eyewitnesses witness the destruction. Suleman Khan, a teacher who lost 25 family members, described seeing the floodwaters rush through his village. "We were looking from the mountain, and we saw houses and buildings and vehicles washed away like sticks of wood. And when we looked down on our village, our home was gone," he told AFP.

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Rescue Helicopter Crashes

The attempt to send help took another hit when a rescue helicopter that was sent to assist families that had been stranded by rain crashed due to weather, killing most of the crew members. This has worsened an already devastating situation and has required authorities to suspend assistance in some parts until the weather clears and safety is restored. With rain predicted over the next few days, officials are worried that there could be more flooding and landslides after this disaster, some of which will keep the crisis going.