Pakistan Monsoon Kill Toll Rises to 657 Amid Heavy rains, Floods, and Landslides

August 18, 2025

Islamabad: Pakistan is contending with one of its deadliest monsoon spells, as relentless rains, flash floods, and landslides have claimed at least 657 lives and left nearly 1,000 injured since late June, according to local media citing the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

NDMA data shows that of the 657 fatalities, 171 were children and 94 were women. Among the provinces, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) is hardest hit with 390 deaths, including 288 men, 59 children, and 43 women.

Punjab has reported 164 deaths, Sindh 28, Balochistan 20, Pakistan-Occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) 32, Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) 15, and Islamabad 8 fatalities. The NDMA’s National Emergency Operations Centre issued an emergency alert forecasting continued intense rainfall across Punjab, K-P, Balochistan, PoK, and parts of Sindh.

The surge in fatalities followed a devastating event in K-P, where more than 300 people were killed in a major deluge. PDMA figures for K-P indicate that, as of Sunday, the toll from Friday’s cloudbursts, lightning, and flash floods rose to 323, with 209 deaths in Buner district, the disaster’s epicentre. The deceased include 273 men, 29 women, and 21 children; 123 men, 23 women, and 10 children are among the injured.

The PDMA also reported 336 houses damaged in the province, with 230 partially destroyed and 106 completely demolished. NDMA warned that several settlements in PoGB and K-P have lost connectivity due to flash floods and landslides, and that search and relief operations would continue with more relief packages expected. Authorities urged people to avoid non-essential travel and stay alert as weather conditions evolve.