The toll from the floods in Pakistan rises to 220 dead and hundreds missing
August 16, 2025147 ViewsRead Time: 2 minutes
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The toll of victims from the devastating floods and landslides in northwestern Pakistan has risen to at least 220 dead, after rescue teams found 63 new bodies inside homes submerged by water overnight, authorities announced today, Saturday.
The spokesperson for emergency services stated that hundreds of rescue workers continue search operations in the mountainous area of Boner in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where the floods swept away dozens of homes and caused widespread destruction to villages.
Boner Deputy Commissioner Kashif Qayyum explained that efforts are focused on the two most affected villages, Pir Baba and Malik Pura, where most families have lost their members.
A police officer who survived the landslides confirmed that the floods gave residents only a few minutes before swallowing their homes and the local police station.
Witnesses and survivors indicated that what occurred was not just flooding, but a raging torrent of water mixed with mud and massive rocks, which exacerbated the scale of the disaster. Dr. Muhammad Tariq from one of the hospitals in Boner stated that most victims died before reaching the hospital, including children and men, while women were away in the hills tending to livestock and gathering firewood.
At the same time, sudden floods swept through the village of Choseti in the Indian-administered Kashmir region, resulting in the deaths of 60 people and injuring about 150 others, including dozens in critical condition. Authorities there were able to rescue 300 people and evacuate about 4,000 pilgrims to safe areas during the annual Hindu pilgrimage season.
Weather experts attribute these heavy rains to the effects of climate change on the Himalayan region and northern Pakistan, where extreme weather events have become more frequent and severe.
Pakistani officials reported that rescue teams have managed since Thursday to evacuate more than 3,500 tourists trapped by the flood, after many of them ignored prior warnings about the dangerous weather.
