Sudden floods triggered by relentless monsoon rains have claimed over 400 lives across Pakistan, India-administered Kashmir, and Nepal, according to officials, with dozens still unaccounted for.
In northwestern Pakistan, authorities reported that at least 321 people died within 48 hours after torrents of water swept through communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Entire villages in the Buner region were flattened, leaving emergency workers struggling to reach survivors as roads and bridges were washed away.
“Over 120 bodies have been recovered from this area alone so far. Just a few days ago, there was a vibrant, living community here. Now, there’s nothing but heaps of large rocks and debris,” said Bilal Faizi, spokesperson for Rescue 122.
Tragedy struck during relief efforts when a helicopter crashed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing five crew members, a local official confirmed.
In Indian-administered Kashmir, floods engulfed the town of Chashoti, a major pilgrimage site, leaving at least 60 people dead and more than 200 missing, Reuters reported.
Meanwhile, Nepal’s disaster management authority confirmed 41 fatalities and 121 injuries in the Himalayan nation.
The scale of destruction left survivors shaken. “When the rain intensified, it wasn’t long before I felt as if an earthquake had struck, the whole ground was shaking,” recalled Farhad Ali, a student from Salarzai in northern Pakistan.
“In the pouring rain, my entire family ran outside, and we saw a torrent of mud and massive boulders rushing through the stream near our house. It felt like doomsday had arrived, with scenes straight out of the end of the world.”
Meteorologists have warned of worsening conditions. Pakistan’s weather agency predicts heavier rainfall from Sunday, raising the risk of fresh flash floods and urban inundation.
Authorities urged people to stay away from tourist areas and avoid crossing rivers.
Dramatic footage shared online showed torrents of muddy water roaring through towns, swallowing vehicles and demolishing homes.
India’s Meteorological Department explained the disaster was caused by a “cloudburst”, an intense downpour of over 100 millimeters (4 inches) of rain within an hour. Experts say climate change is magnifying the severity and frequency of such events in the Himalayan belt.
Eyewitnesses in India-administered Kashmir described a grim scene as rescue workers pulled bodies from the mud.
“It was heartbreaking and an unbearable sight,” said social activist Abdul Majeed Bichoo, who saw eight bodies retrieved. Remarkably, he added, three horses were “recovered alive.”
Earlier in August, flash floods had already struck India’s Uttarakhand state, killing four, underscoring the region’s vulnerability.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced the cancellation of some independence anniversary events in light of the tragedy.
The floods also disrupted the Machail yatra, a pilgrimage to the Himalayan shrine of Machail Mata, where devotees typically trek from Chashoti, the last motorable point before the temple.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened an emergency meeting in Islamabad on Friday to oversee rescue operations, as frantic search and relief efforts continued across the region.