Officials confirm 234 deaths in Buner after cloudburst, floods

PESHAWAR: A government report has revealed the catastrophic impact of a recent cloudburst and subsequent flooding in Pakistan’s Buner district, causing large-scale destruction to lives, property, and infrastructure, ARY News reported.

According to the report, the floods in Buner claimed 234 lives, the highest death toll in the affected areas. The disaster destroyed 162 houses and partially damaged 575 others.

Key infrastructure was severely hit, with 110 kilometers of roads, bridges, and other facilities extensively damaged.

Agricultural losses in Buner are staggering, as 55,890 acres of farmland were submerged. Additionally, 825 shops were destroyed, and 3,638 livestock perished, dealing a severe blow to local livelihoods.

The Public Health Department faced damages worth Rs 194.8 million due to the collapse of water channels and related infrastructure.

Similarly, the Education Department reported that 29 educational institutions were affected, including one school completely destroyed and several others partially damaged.

The Agriculture Department confirmed that 26,142 acres of crops were ruined, leading to losses exceeding Rs 250 million.

Meanwhile, the Highway Authority stated that 4 kilometers of road were washed away, causing damages of more than Rs 320 million.

Authorities have warned that rehabilitation will require significant resources as the region struggles to recover from the widespread devastation caused by the cloudburst and floods.

Also Read: Swept Away: Flash Floods, Failed Systems Bane of Pakistan’s North

Earlier, Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to supporting flood-affected families and expediting rehabilitation efforts, particularly in the worst-hit districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Chairing a meeting of the federal cabinet, the prime minister expressed deep concern over the devastation caused by recent heavy rains, cloudbursts, and flash floods in Swat, Swabi, Mansehra, Shangla, and other areas.

He said federal ministers, secretaries, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and the armed forces were fully engaged in relief operations.

Recalling the destruction from the 2022 Pakistan floods, which claimed around 100 lives, the premier noted that this year’s flash floods had resulted in an even heavier human toll, with more than 700 deaths nationwide—over 400 of them in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone.

He also expressed solidarity with victims in Karachi, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

PM of Pakistan stressed the need to discourage illegal constructions along waterways, warning that such practices aggravated flood risks.

Pakistan’s premier also raised concern over large-scale tree cutting in Galyat and other regions, vowing to convene a meeting soon on environmental protection.