At least 300 people were killed in northwest Pakistan after two days of intense rains and floods, local officials said on Saturday, as rescuers pulled 63 more bodies overnight from homes flattened by flash floods and landslides.
Rescue efforts and clearing of blocked roads were ongoing with the release of emergency funds, they said, adding that the heavy rains would continue until Aug. 21.
Cloud bursts, flash floods, lightning strikes, landslides, and the collapse of buildings caused the most deadly spell of this year's monsoon season. By early Saturday, 307 were confirmed dead, with more people missing, in the hills and mountains of the region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority.
Not only Pakistan but also parts of neighboring India and Nepal have been hit hard by heavy rains, flooding and other rain-related incidents over the past week.
Buner district, a three-and-a-half hour drive north from Pakistan's capital Islamabad in normal times, was among the country's worst-hit, with 184 killed and widespread damage to infrastructure, crops and orchards, local officials said. A cloud burst, fallen trees and flash floods swept away people and possessions.
