Deadly monsoons kill 377 in Pakistan’s northwest as PM tours worst-hit Buner district

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday inspected the flood-hit district of Buner in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, one of the worst-affected areas in the ongoing monsoon season, where at least 228 people have died since last Friday out of 377 reported across the province.

The annual monsoon rains are vital for agriculture, food security and the livelihoods of millions of farmers in Pakistan, though in recent years they have caused intense flooding and landslides amid shifting weather patterns that scientists attribute to climate change worldwide.

Pakistan is among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations and has recorded at least 707 deaths, including 427 in KP, since the start of the season on June 26, with weather authorities warning of more rains in the coming days.

“The Prime Minister departed to visit the flood-affected district of Buner,” said his office in a statement. “During the journey, he conducted an aerial inspection of flood conditions and damage in Buner and Shangla.”