Pakistan on Red Alert: More Floods, Landslides Feared

After at least 344 people were murdered nationwide by flash floods, authorities revealed on Sunday, August 17, that more than 150 people are still missing in northwest Pakistan.

 Buner district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has been the most severely affected, with over 200 fatalities and entire communities submerged beneath floodwaters, mud, and boulders.  Approximately 2,000 rescue personnel are searching through the debris for survivors, but operations are being slowed by landslides, damaged roads, and severe rain.  Mobile communications and electricity are unavailable in many places.

 In one terrible instance, a single family in the village of Qadar Nagar lost 24 relatives when their house was swept away the night before a wedding.  Many family members are still unaccounted for, according to survivors.

The province chief minister, Ali Amin Gandapur, has pledged food, clean water, tents to prevent disease outbreaks, and 2 million rupees ($7,200) in compensation to the relatives of the slain. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is keeping an eye on relief efforts and has directed that stranded residents be evacuated and help be delivered more quickly.

 More rain and potential landslides are expected in the days ahead, according to Pakistan's disaster agencies.  Unusually strong monsoon rains have killed more than 600 people nationwide since late June.  According to experts, landslides and floods in South Asia are becoming more severe due to climate change.

 Meanwhile, flash floods brought on by heavy rains have killed at least seven people and left numerous others missing in Indian-controlled Kashmir.