Death toll from Pakistan flash floods rises to 312

The death toll from flash floods in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has climbed to 312, officials said Saturday, as torrential rains and landslides continue to batter the country’s mountainous northwest.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said the fatalities include five provincial government officials who were killed when a helicopter delivering relief goods crashed in Bajaur due to bad weather.

Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur declared a day of mourning, calling the victims “true heroes whose sacrifice will be written in golden letters in history.”

The highest number of casualties was reported in Buner district, where at least 184 people were killed, followed by 36 in Shangla, 23 in Mansehra, 22 in Swat, 21 in Bajaur, 15 in Battagram, five in Lower Dir, and one in Abbottabad. At least 23 others have been injured, according to PDMA.

Authorities say more than 4,000 people have been affected, with 3,567 rescued so far.

Around 5,000 rescuers and 90 vehicles — including ambulances and excavators — are engaged in search and relief operations. At least 68 houses have been damaged or destroyed.

Large parts of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Swat, and Malakand have been declared disaster-hit, with flooding and landslides blocking roads and hampering rescue work.

Officials have warned that the death toll could rise as dozens remain missing.