M007-PAKISTAN INUNDACIONES

Flash floods triggered by intense rain have killed at least 341 people in northwest Pakistan since Friday (August 15), according to authorities.

More than 200 fatalities were reported in the Buner district of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The fatalities include 28 women and 21 children, the province's Provincial Disaster Management Authority said.

Drone video captured the full scale of the devastation — showing shattered homes, scattered rocks and boulders, debris-strewn streets, and residents gathering to assess the damage as relief efforts got underway.

The intense rain has spread destruction in several northern districts, with most fatalities resulting from flash floods, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.

In hilly regions, floodwaters swept away homes, buildings, vehicles, and personal belongings.

Buner district was the hardest hit.

Rescue and relief efforts resumed in the flood-hit areas several hours after heavy rain forced rescuers to halt work on Monday, a regional government officer, Abid Wazir, told Reuters.

Heavy rains and flash floods also hit more areas in the northwestern province on Monday, including Swabi district, where 11 people were killed, according to the provincial disaster management authority.

Relief supplies, including food, medicine, blankets, tents, an electric generator and pumps have been sent to the affected areas, the authority said.

Officials said Buner was struck by a cloudburst — a rare weather phenomenon in which over 100 mm (4 inches) of rain falls within an hour over a small area.

On Friday (August 15) morning, the district received more than 150 mm of rain in just one hour.

Torrential rains and flooding during this monsoon season have claimed 660 lives across Pakistan since late June, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.