Severe monsoon floods kill at least 208 in Pakistan; relief efforts continue

A severe monsoon spell has battered Pakistan’s northern regions, leaving at least 208 people dead and triggering a large-scale rescue and relief operation that remains ongoing as heavy rains and flooding threaten further damage. Officials said the toll includes 198 deaths in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 10 in Gilgit-Baltistan, with dozens of districts reporting destroyed homes, damaged infrastructure and widespread displacement since floods, landslides and cloudbursts began hammering the area in late June. Rescue teams have faced difficult conditions, and authorities warned that rainfall could continue intermittently through August, complicating operations and relief planning.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, nearly all of the fatalities have occurred in the northern and central districts, with Buner reporting the highest death toll at 91. Provincial authorities cited significant destruction of homes and public buildings, with 45 houses lost, three schools and eight other structures washed away. In Swat, 26 homes were destroyed, and several communities remained cut off by flooded roads and damaged bridges. The provincial disaster management authority said the fatalities included 172 men, 14...