Pakistan defends flood response after 270 deaths

Escalating Death Toll and Ongoing Challenges in Pakistan

Rescuers have recovered dozens of additional bodies from the rubble of collapsed homes in a north-western district of Pakistan, raising the death toll to at least 274. The situation has highlighted concerns about the effectiveness of the authorities’ response to the ongoing flooding crisis.

In addition to the devastation in Pakistan, heavy rains and flooding have also claimed lives in neighboring Kashmir. The impact of these extreme weather events continues to be felt across the region, with communities struggling to cope with the aftermath.

Mohammad Suhail, a spokesman for Pakistan’s emergency service, reported that 54 bodies were found in Buner, a mountainous area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The area was hit by torrential rains and cloudbursts on Friday, which triggered massive flooding. Mr. Suhail said that villagers remain missing, and search efforts are focused on areas where homes were flattened by torrents of water that swept down from the mountains, carrying boulders that smashed into houses like explosions.

Authorities have issued warnings about the possibility of more deluges and potential landslides through Tuesday. They have urged local administrations to stay on high alert. Since June 26, higher-than-normal monsoon rains have lashed the country, resulting in over 600 deaths.

In India-administered Kashmir, located near Pakistan’s north-eastern border, flash floods occurred in two villages in the Kathua district. Seven people were killed, according to officials. In Chositi village, rescuers are still searching for dozens of missing individuals after the area was hit by flash floods during an annual Hindu pilgrimage. At least 60 people were killed, and some 150 injured, with over 300 others rescued.

Residents in Buner have criticized officials for not issuing warnings to evacuate after the torrential rain and cloudbursts caused deadly flooding and landslides. A traditional method of warning through mosque loudspeakers was notably absent in this case.

The government explained that while an early warning system is in place, the sudden and intense downpour in Buner struck before residents could be alerted. Lieutenant General Inam Haider, chairman of the national disaster management authority, addressed a hastily convened news conference in Islamabad, stating that Pakistan is experiencing shifting weather patterns due to climate change.

Since the monsoon season began in June, Pakistan has already received 50% more rainfall than in the same period last year, he noted. He warned that more intense weather could follow, with heavy rains forecast to continue this month.

Some countries have offered assistance to Islamabad, but Lt Gen Haider stated that Pakistan has sufficient resources and does not require foreign help at this time.

Asfandyar Khan Khattak, director-general of the provincial disaster management authority, emphasized that there is “no forecasting system anywhere in the world” capable of predicting the exact time and location of a cloudburst, a sudden and intense downpour.

Idrees Mahsud, a disaster management official, explained that Pakistan’s early warning system uses satellite imagery and meteorological data to send alerts to local authorities. These alerts are shared through the media and community leaders.

An emergency services spokesman in Buner, Mohammad Sohail, reported that more than half the damaged roads in the district had reopened by Sunday, allowing vehicles and heavy machinery to reach cut-off villages. Crews are clearing piles of rocks and mud dumped by the floods, and they are still using heavy machinery to remove the rubble of collapsed homes after families reported that some of their relatives were missing.

Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate-induced disasters. In 2022, a record-breaking monsoon killed nearly 1,700 people and destroyed millions of homes. The country also suffers regular flash floods and landslides during the monsoon season, which runs from June to September, particularly in the rugged north-west of the country, where villages are often perched on steep slopes and riverbanks.

Experts say climate change is intensifying the frequency and severity of such extreme weather events in South Asia. Khalid Khan, a weather expert, pointed out that Pakistan produces less than 1% of planet-warming emissions but faces heat waves, heavy rains, glacial outburst floods, and now cloudbursts, underscoring how climate change is devastating communities within hours.