Cloudbursts and Flash Floods Devastate Northern Pakistan, Killing 120

ISLAMABAD — Torrential rains, cloudbursts, landslides, and flash floods have caused widespread destruction across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), leaving at least 56 people dead and dozens missing, according to official and local reports.

In KP’s Bajaur district, a flash flood in the Jabrayi area overnight destroyed numerous homes, washed away bridges and connecting roads, and left at least 21 people dead. Local residents reported seven people still missing, with search and rescue operations ongoing. Several injured victims have been moved to hospitals.

In Batagram, a late-night cloudburst swept away residents, killing seven people, while one person died in Shangla. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) reported that in total, 38 people have died in KP — including 21 in Bajaur, 4 in Swat, 5 in Lower Dir, 7 in Batagram, and 1 in Shangla — with multiple injuries reported.

In AJK, flash floods triggered by cloudbursts claimed eight lives, including six members of the same family, while in GB, 10 people were killed in rain-related incidents. The AJK government has announced the closure of educational institutions for two days due to the extreme weather.

Rescue teams remain on high alert as authorities warn of further rainfall and possible flooding in vulnerable areas.