Deadly cloudburst floods devastate India, Pakistan, death toll more than 250
Severe flooding triggered by cloudbursts and monsoon rains has killed at least 250 people across India and Pakistan, with many more still missing, authorities reported today.
The disaster has also claimed the lives of five rescue workers in a helicopter crash during relief operations.
In Pakistan, nearly 200 people have died — most in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province — as flash floods, landslides, and roof collapses ravaged communities, reports dw.com
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority confirmed that at least 35 people remain missing. Rescue teams have evacuated 1,300 stranded tourists from landslide-hit areas.
Tragedy struck the relief effort when an MI-17 helicopter delivering supplies to rain-affected Bajaur crashed in Mohmand district due to bad weather, killing all five crew members, including two pilots.
Seven more fatalities were reported in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The meteorological department has warned residents in the northwest to avoid “unnecessary exposure to vulnerable areas.”
Across the border in India-administered Kashmir, the remote Himalayan village of Chositi has been devastated, with at least 60 confirmed dead and 80 missing.
The floods hit during the Machail Mata pilgrimage, when the village was crowded with worshippers. Officials said 300 people have been rescued, but many of the missing are feared swept away.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking the nation’s 79th Independence Day, acknowledged the string of disasters:
“Nature has been testing us. In the last few days, we have had to deal with landslides, cloudbursts and other natural calamities,” he said.
Experts say climate change is worsening the frequency and intensity of cloudbursts in the Himalayan regions of India and northern Pakistan.
The World Weather Attribution group found that Pakistan’s rainfall between June 24 and July 23 was 10% to 15% heavier due to climate change, particularly in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Unplanned development in mountainous areas has further amplified the damage.
Follow The Times Kuwait on X, Instagram and Facebook for the latest news updates
