At least 17 people lost their lives on Monday as heavy rains triggered flash floods, submerged homes, and caused landslides across the Swabi district. Officials also confirmed two deaths in nearby Nowshera.
Swabi Deputy Commissioner Nasrullah Khan said 12 houses were submerged in Dalori village following what locals described as a “cloudburst.” He added that landslides struck in the Gadoon Amazai mountain belt, sweeping away homes and people. The exact number of casualties remains uncertain. The deputy commissioner cited difficulties in gathering information, leading to conflicting reports.
Provincial Irrigation Minister Aqibullah Khan, who visited Dalori, said more than 20 people had died and at least 33 remained missing. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority gave a lower figure, reporting 13 deaths, including two in Nowshera, and 20 injuries. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Faizi confirmed 11 deaths in Swabi, while residents estimated up to 18 people were still unaccounted for.
Amjad Gul, a local resident, said collapsed homes buried many under rubble. “It is not an easy task to pull people out of the rubble in Dalori. There is a dire need for an excavator. It seems that many people have been buried under the rubble,” he explained.
In Sar Koi Payan, four people were killed when a newly built home collapsed on nine family members who had recently returned from Karachi. Locals recovered the bodies and sent them to the hospital in Topi. Two Afghan refugees also died in a roof collapse, while two others drowned in Karnal Sher Khan Kali nullah, as per reports in Dawn.
Heavy rains disrupted daily life, forcing families to seek shelter on rooftops or flee to safer areas. Roads were blocked by debris, crops destroyed, electricity cut off, and vehicles buried in mud. The Meteorological Department has yet to confirm if the storm in Swabi was officially a cloudburst.
National Disaster Management Authority Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider warned that monsoon conditions would remain “precarious” until late August, with improvement expected by the end of September. He reported 670 deaths nationwide this monsoon season, with over 1,000 injured and as many as 90 still missing.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pledged full support, announcing that cabinet members will donate a month’s salary toward relief. “In this hour of calamity, there is no federal or provincial government; we must ensure the assistance and rehabilitation of affected people,” the prime minister said.
So far, 456 relief camps have been established and 400 rescue operations carried out by federal and provincial agencies alongside the Pakistan Army. UNICEF also confirmed it has sent emergency medicines to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan and will expand assistance as needed.
