In Pakistan, the monsoon claims over 320 lives in 48 hours, rescue efforts underway

In Pakistan, the monsoon has caused over 320 deaths in just 48 hours, and rescue operations are being organized. On Saturday, rescuers are attempting to recover bodies buried in the northern region where an unusually intense monsoon has struck.

In the past two days, the deadliest torrential rains occurred across various districts in the mountainous province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which alone has recorded 307 deaths, accounting for half of this season's fatalities, according to the Disaster Management Authority.

Most victims were swept away by flash floods, died in house collapses, were electrocuted, or struck by lightning.

In this border province with Afghanistan, currently experiencing heavy rainfall, over 2,000 rescuers are mobilized to search for survivors or recover bodies buried under rubble, said Bilal Ahmed Faizi, a spokesperson for provincial rescue efforts.

"Heavy rains, landslides, and blocked roads hinder ambulance access, forcing rescuers to travel on foot," he added.

Rescuers are "trying to evacuate survivors, but very few are willing to leave because they have lost loved ones still trapped under the rubble," Mr. Faizi continued.

"This morning, when I woke up, the land that our family has cultivated for generations — and the small area where we played cricket for years — was gone," recounted Muhammad Khan, a resident of the Buner district, which has reported 91 deaths.

"It seems like the entire mountain has collapsed; the region is covered in mud and huge rocks," added the 48-year-old man, who mentioned having extracted "19 bodies from the rubble."

"We continue to search for missing relatives; each time we discover a body, there is profound sadness, but also relief that the family will be able to retrieve their loved one," he shared.

The provincial disaster management authority of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has declared many districts as "disaster-stricken," where "rescue teams have been deployed to reach villages in the rugged terrain."

Saifullah Khan, a 32-year-old teacher, assured that the entire Buner district is in shock.

"Residents are retrieving bodies and organizing funerals, but we still do not know who is dead or alive," he recounted.

"I have found the bodies of some of my students, and I wonder what they did to deserve this."

Nine other fatalities occurred in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, while in Indian-administered Kashmir, at least 60 victims were reported in a Himalayan village, with 80 others still missing.

Additionally, five people died in the tourist region of Gilgit-Baltistan, located in the extreme north of Pakistan, which is particularly popular among climbers during the summer but is now being advised against by authorities.

In total, since the beginning of this summer monsoon described as "unusual" by authorities, 634 people, including about 100 children, have died, and 768 have been injured.

On Friday, a rescue helicopter crashed, resulting in five more deaths.

According to Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah from the National Disaster Management Authority, "more than half of the victims died due to poor building quality."

The country, the fifth most populous in the world, is among the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and authorities warn that rainfall will intensify further over the next two weeks.

The 255 million Pakistanis have already experienced massive and deadly floods, glacial lake outburst floods, and unprecedented droughts in recent years, phenomena that will multiply under the influence of climate change, scientists warn.