Deadly storm in northwest Pakistan kills eight, injures dozens

At least eight people were killed and dozens injured after a powerful windstorm and heavy rains struck Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local officials said on Sunday.

The storm hit Dera Ismail Khan district late Saturday, toppling walls, uprooting trees, and dislodging solar panels, said Fasih Ullah, the district emergency officer. He said 31 people were injured and shifted to hospitals for treatment.

In neighboring Charsadda district, heavy overnight rainfall created a flood-like situation, according to Rescue 1122 spokesperson Pir Sadarat Shah.

He said that rescue teams evacuated 110 people to safety but warned residents to stay away from rivers, where water levels remain dangerously high.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur expressed sorrow over the deaths and directed officials to provide urgent medical care, relief supplies, and rehabilitation support for affected communities.

Provincial health adviser Ahtesham Ali said hospitals and emergency teams were on round-the-clock alert. “Medicines, equipment, and staff have been deployed across the province to handle any emergency,” he said.

Rising toll from weeks of flooding

The storm comes as Pakistan continues to reel from weeks of monsoon-related flooding. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) reported that at least 426 people have died and 247 others injured across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since August 15.

Buner district has been the worst hit, with 237 fatalities. Thousands of homes, schools, and government buildings have collapsed, while nearly 6,000 livestock have been lost, according to PDMA spokesperson Anwar Shehzad.

People retrieve a car from mud and debris after flash floods in Buner, northern Pakistan, August 16, 2025. AFP

Shehzad warned that more rains are forecast through August 26, raising fears of flash floods and urban flooding. Districts including Chitral, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Mansehra, Abbottabad, and Nowshera face the highest risk. He added that the provincial capital, Peshawar, is especially vulnerable to urban flooding.

Authorities also cautioned that continuous rainfall could trigger landslides in mountainous areas, while thunderstorms and high winds pose the additional threat of lightning strikes.

‘Unusual monsoon’

Officials described this year’s rains as an “unusual monsoon.” Pakistan has now recorded nearly 750 flood-related deaths this summer, surpassing last year’s toll.

In July, Punjab alone received 73 percent more rainfall compared to last year, causing more fatalities than the entire previous monsoon season.

Monsoon rains, which bring about three-quarters of South Asia’s annual rainfall, are vital for agriculture but also cause devastating floods between June and September.

Pakistan is among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries. In 2022, catastrophic monsoon floods submerged a third of the country and killed about 1,700 people, underscoring the mounting risks of extreme weather.