A powerful cloudburst, accompanied by flash floods and lightning, struck remote mountainous villages in Swabi district on Monday morning, killing at least 25 people and injuring 35 others, officials said.
The worst-affected areas include Dalori Bala and Sarkoi Payan in the Gadoon Amazai region, where dozens of homes collapsed under the force of floodwaters. Many residents were trapped beneath debris.
Deputy Commissioner Swabi, Nasrullah Khan, said, “In Dalori Bala alone, 20 people have died, including women, children, and the elderly. The total death toll in the area has reached 25. At last report, ten bodies and six injured were recovered.”
In Sarkoi Payan, two women and their children died when their homes collapsed. A visiting woman from Faisalabad also perished with her child. In Colonel Sher Khan Kalay, a young man named Talha was swept away by the flood.
The disaster caused extensive property damage, destroyed crops, and disrupted electricity and mobile networks. Floodwaters and landslides blocked roads across the Gadoon Amazai region, hampering rescue operations.
Khan said rescue teams had been deployed on foot where vehicles could not reach. “The Pakistan Army has sent two helicopters to assist in evacuations, and local residents have joined in rescue efforts,” he added.
Topi Tehsil Chairman Haji Rahim Jadoon, along with local officials including the DPO and AEs, rushed to the scene. The floods also affected Dalori Bala, Bada, Kola Gar, and the causeway connecting Marghaz and Zeeda, damaging houses, vehicles, and livestock.
Authorities warned that the mountainous terrain and ongoing rainfall continued to pose risks, urging residents to remain cautious while relief operations proceeded.
K-P Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur contacted the Mardan commissioner and other officials, directing Swabi’s deputy commissioner to reach the site immediately and supervise relief operations.
صوابی میں کلاؤڈ برسٹ کے بعد وزیر اعلیٰ خیبرپختونخوا علی امین خان گنڈاپور کی خصوصی ہدایت پر ضلعی انتظامیہ کی جانب سے متاثرہ علاقوں میں فوری بحالی کا کام جاری ہے۔ بھاری مشینری کی مدد سے منقطع ہونے والے راستوں کو جلد از جلد بحال کیا جا رہا ہے۔#KPFloodUpdates #Swabi pic.twitter.com/4xj2wWD8Ym
— Government of KP (@GovernmentKP) August 18, 2025
“All available resources and rescue teams must be rushed to the affected area without delay,” Gandapur said in a statement. “Teams from nearby districts should also be deployed. Emergency measures are needed to save lives.”
PDMA confirms 341 deaths in K-P
On the other hand, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said heavy rains and flash floods have caused significant loss of life and property across K-P, with 341 people killed and 178 others injured so far.
The fatalities include 292 men, 28 women, and 21 children, while the injured comprise 144 men, 24 women, and 10 children, according to PDMA figures.
The floods have also damaged a total of 420 homes, with 281 partially destroyed and 139 completely demolished. The hardest-hit district is Bunir, which alone has recorded 222 deaths. Swabi has reported 11 deaths and 20 injuries.
Other affected districts include Swat, Bajaur, Mansehra, Shangla, Lower Dir, Battagram, and surrounding areas, PDMA said.
“These extreme weather events have severely impacted communities, leaving many displaced and in urgent need of assistance,” a PDMA official said.
Authorities continue to coordinate rescue and relief operations, deploying teams to affected areas to assist residents and provide essential aid.
Villagers fear returning to deluged homes
Residents of a K-P district where devastating floods have killed more than 200 people said on Monday they were too afraid to return to their homes, as authorities warned of more rain to come.
“Everybody is scared. Children are scared. They cannot sleep,” said Sahil Khan, a 24-year-old student. Speaking from a rooftop in Buner district, he said he and 15 other villagers had climbed to safety during a fresh spell of rain. “It was like a doomsday scenario,” Khan said of the flash floods triggered by heavy rains and cloudbursts.
The intense rains have ravaged northern districts, sweeping away houses, vehicles, and belongings, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said. Buner was the worst-hit area in K-P province.
Many villagers fled to higher ground or took shelter with relatives, while makeshift camps were set up by local authorities. Rescuers struggled to move heavy machinery into narrow streets. Markets and homes in Buner lay buried under up to five feet of mud, which residents cleared with shovels. Cars and belongings were strewn among ruined buildings.
“People are out of their homes. They are fearful. They have climbed into the mountains,” said Dayar Khan, a 26-year-old shopkeeper.
Rescue work resumed hours after being suspended due to heavy rain, regional official Abid Wazir said. “Our priority is now to clear the roads, set up bridges and bring relief to the affected people,” he added.
Deadly rains, floods claim 670 lives across Pakistan
Earlier, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik said that at least 670 people have died and 1,000 others have been injured in recent rains, floods, and landslides across the country.
Briefing reporters alongside Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar and Minister for Climate Change Musadik Malik, he said two to three more monsoon spells are expected, with the current spell likely to continue until Friday. He added that the situation is expected to normalise by the end of September.
Tarar said a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister reviewed the flood situation and ongoing rescue operations in K-P and G-B. He stressed that coordination with provincial governments is being carried out effectively, with NDMA regularly providing early warning data.
Minister for Information & Broadcasting @TararAttaullah says efforts are being made at national level to deal with the flood situation in different parts of country@MoIB_Official #News #RadioPakistan #NDMA https://t.co/G6bzHhOAkX pic.twitter.com/FofthMUtX9
— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) August 18, 2025
Malik said the foremost priority is to rescue people and shift them to safer areas. He added that a damage assessment will begin once the monsoon season is over.
Musadik Malik said all-out efforts will be made to compensate victims for their losses and urged provincial governments to resettle people living along rivers and streams in mountainous regions to safer locations.
According to Weather Advisory issued by the National Emergency Operation Centre of the NDMA, moderate to heavy rainfall is expected in various parts of K-P, Punjab, and Sindh till August 20th.
Read: Fresh deluge feared as NDMA issues urgent warning
The weather advisory highlights that moderate to heavy rainfall is expected in Punjab, particularly in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Multan, Bahawalpur, and surrounding areas. In K-P, heavy rainfall is predicted for Peshawar, Swat, Hazara, Mansehra, Abbottabad, and Chitral regions, among others.
In Sindh, areas like Karachi, Sukkur, Larkana, Hyderabad, and Badin are expected to experience significant rainfall.
In response to the growing crisis, the Ministry of Health, at the request of the NDMA, has dispatched critical supplies, including medicines, tents, blankets, and dewatering pumps, to the flood-affected regions.
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said that the ministry is in constant communication with NDMA and the provincial authorities to ensure the timely and effective delivery of aid.
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