Three killed in Khyber flash floods as monsoon rains sweep through K-P

Three people died after being swept away by flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains in Khyber district on Monday, as widespread downpours prompted fresh floods and landslide warnings across much of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

A Rescue 1122 spokesperson said the death toll from the flash floods in Landi Kotal had risen to three after the bodies of a woman, a man, and a child were recovered during search operations. The woman and man were found in the Jabba Khwar area of Jamrud, while the child's body was recovered from the Parang Sam area with the assistance of residents.

According to the spokesperson, divers and local volunteers carried out a joint search operation before handing over the recovered bodies to the relevant authorities for legal formalities. The rescue service urged the public to avoid rivers, streams, and seasonal waterways during heavy rainfall and to call 1122 in case of an emergency.

The flooding followed torrential rain that lashed Landi Kotal and other upper parts of Khyber district, causing seasonal streams to overflow and sweep away several vehicles. Authorities said no additional casualties had been reported in those incidents.

Elsewhere in K-P, heavy rain was reported in Peshawar and Nowshera, where dark clouds gave way to steady downpours, significantly lowering temperatures and making the weather more pleasant.

Read: PDMA warns of flooding in Punjab rivers as monsoon rains intensify

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said partly cloudy, hot, and humid conditions would prevail across much of the province, with rain accompanied by strong winds and thunderstorms expected in Chitral, Upper and Lower Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Malakand, Upper and Lower Kohistan, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Bajaur, Mohmand, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Charsadda, Peshawar, Kohat, Karak, Hangu, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Kurram, Orakzai, and North and South Waziristan.

Isolated heavy rainfall and hailstorms are also possible in some areas.

The department warned that heavy rain may trigger landslides in vulnerable mountainous areas, while low-lying parts of Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, Mardan, and Swabi remain at risk of urban flooding. It also cautioned that strong winds and lightning could damage vulnerable infrastructure, including solar panels, electricity poles, and billboards.

In a statement, Rescue 1122 said it placed all district emergency services on high alert as monsoon rains continue across the province, directing emergency teams to remain fully prepared for potential flooding and other weather-related incidents.

During an emergency online meeting, Director General Rescue 1122 Shah Fahad instructed all district emergency officers, particularly those in flood-prone and vulnerable districts, to ensure that emergency response operations were carried out in line with K-P's pre-approved monsoon contingency plans.

At least 38 people have been killed and 120 injured since the onset of the monsoon season on June 26, with K-P recording the highest death toll of 23, according to the National Disaster Management Authority's (NDMA's) latest daily situation report released last week.

The NDMA said house collapses remained the leading cause of monsoon-related deaths, accounting for 65.8% of all fatalities. Lightning strikes were responsible for 15.8% of deaths, followed by flash floods at 7.9%. Incidents involving solar panels and drowning each accounted for 2.6% of fatalities, while falling trees and electrocution were responsible for 2.6% each.

Meanwhile, the PMD warned that monsoon activity is expected to intensify across large parts of the country from July 18, with widespread rain, windstorms, and thunderstorms forecast through July 25, raising the risk of flash floods, urban flooding, and landslides.

The PMD said that windstorms and lightning "may damage weak structures (solar panels, electric poles, billboards, etc.)" during the forecast period. It also cautioned that landslides could occur in vulnerable areas of upper K-P, Murree, Galiyat, and Kashmir, while flash flooding is likely in local streams and nullahs across K-P, northeastern Punjab, Islamabad, G-B, the hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan, and northeastern Balochistan during periods of heavy rainfall.

Read More: Rain-related incidents kill nine, injure 28 across K-P, Punjab

Last year's monsoon season caused widespread devastation across Pakistan, claiming more than 1,000 lives and causing an estimated Rs822 billion (around $2.9 billion) in damage, according to government assessment. According to Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, the agriculture sector suffered the heaviest losses, estimated at Rs430 billion, while damage to infrastructure amounted to Rs307 billion.

More than 312,000 homes were affected nationwide, with Punjab accounting for the vast majority. The floods also damaged 2,811 kilometres of roads, more than 2,200 educational institutions, and 250 health facilities, while 866 water supply systems were affected.

The disaster also dealt a heavy blow to the farming sector, killing more than 2,200 livestock and destroying millions of tonnes of crops, including cotton, rice, and sugarcane.

This is not unprecedented. The 2022 floods caused $30 billion worth of economic losses and required $16.3 billion for reconstruction. A World Bank assessment found that 82% of the losses were agricultural, affecting 4.4 million acres of farmland and 800,000 livestock. Sindh bore the brunt then, accounting for nearly 70% of damage, while Balochistan and K-P also suffered deeply.