A powerful cloudburst has triggered flash floods in north-west Pakistan, killing at least 321 people in 48 hours, as rescuers continue to search for dozens still missing. The disaster follows similarly deadly floods in neighboring India.

The majority of the deaths, 307, were recorded in mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.

Nine more people were killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, while five died in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, it said.

Today in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a young man heroically risked his life to save two children during the devastating floods. These unsung heroes deserve recognition for their courage and selflessness. Let’s honor their bravery!#KPFloods #RealHeroes”
pic.twitter.com/etvICKSZRo

— Nibraz Ramzan (@nibraz88cricket) August 15, 2025

“The death toll may rise as we are still looking for dozens of missing people,” Suhail warned.

Meanwhile, the provincial government has declared the severely affected mountainous districts of Buner, Bajaur, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, and Battagram disaster-hit areas.

Aid delivery hindered

"Heavy rainfall, landslides in several areas, and washed-out roads are causing significant challenges in delivering aid, particularly in transporting heavy machinery and ambulances," Bilal Ahmed Faizi, spokesman for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Rescue agency, told AFP.

"Due to road closures in most areas, rescue workers are traveling on foot to conduct operations in remote regions," he added.

"They are trying to evacuate survivors, but very few people are relocating due to the deaths of their relatives or loved ones being trapped in the debris."

The latest fatalities bring Pakistan’s total number of rain-related deaths since June 26 to 556, according to disaster management officials.

This afternoon: Over 256 people have died in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, following cloudbursts and flooding, with rescue and relief efforts still ongoing,- Samaa

📍Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Since late June, 560 people have been confirmed dead across Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/OBuVydIrqs

— Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) August 15, 2025

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In Bajaur district, a helicopter carrying relief supplies crashed on Friday due to bad weather, killing all five people on board, a government statement confirmed.

Sudden, intense downpours over small areas, known as cloudbursts, are becoming increasingly common in Pakistan’s northern regions and across India’s Himalayas, both highly prone to flash floods and landslides. Experts say such extreme events are growing more frequent due to the climate crisis, while unplanned development in mountainous areas has amplified the destruction.

Dozens were injured as the deluge destroyed homes in Buner, where authorities declared a state of emergency. According to officials, ambulances transported 56 bodies to local hospitals.

Rescue teams, supported by boats and helicopters, are working to reach stranded residents. Kashif Qayyum, a senior Buner administrator, said dozens remain missing and warned that the toll is likely to rise.

Elsewhere in Pakistan, deaths were reported across different provinces on Thursday. Faizi said rescuers worked through the night to save 1,300 tourists trapped by flash flooding and landslides in Mansehra district’s Siran valley.

"Rescue 1122 Mansehra swiftly evacuated over 1,300 stranded individuals from Siran Valley Family Park after a flash flood caused by heavy rainfall. Professionalism and quick action saved lives! Stay safe & avoid waterways during storms. #Rescue1122 #PublicSafety #Mansehra pic.twitter.com/JYfZJ1qds2

— KP_Rescue1122 (@KPRescue1122) August 14, 2025

The Gilgit-Baltistan region has also been hit by multiple floods since July, triggering landslides along the Karakoram Highway, a vital trade and travel route linking Pakistan and China. The area, home to vast glaciers that supply 75% of Pakistan’s stored water, remains at severe risk.

Despite repeated government warnings about flash floods and landslides, thousands of tourists continued to visit resorts in the flood-hit northern areas. A study released this week by World Weather Attribution, a network of international scientists, found that rainfall in Pakistan between 24 June and 23 July was 10% to 15% heavier because of global heating. In 2022, Pakistan’s worst-ever monsoon season killed more than 1,700 people and caused an estimated $40 billion in damage.

Flooding in Indian-administered Kashmir kills at least 60

In Indian-administered Kashmir, at least 60 people were killed in flash floods in the remote Himalayan village of Chositi, with scores still missing, officials said Friday.

Around 300 people were rescued on Thursday after a powerful cloudburst triggered flooding and landslides, though operations were suspended overnight. At least 50 seriously injured individuals were treated in local hospitals, many pulled from a stream clogged with mud and debris. A disaster management official, Mohammed Irshad, warned that the number of missing could rise further.

Devastating weather patterns across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 103 deaths from KP alone, dozens of people missing in flash floods, GLOF’s and cloud bursts in the last 12 hours . 43 bodies in one hospital in Buner alone. The video is from Pir… pic.twitter.com/IAFbnbOFoB

— Iftikhar Firdous (@IftikharFirdous) August 15, 2025

More heavy rain is forecast in the coming days, heightening the risk of fresh flooding.

Chositi, located in the Kishtwar district, is the last motorable village on the route of an annual Hindu pilgrimage to a mountain shrine. Authorities suspended the pilgrimage, which began on July 25 and was scheduled to run until 5 September, after floodwaters swept away the main community kitchen, dozens of vehicles and motorbikes, and many homes clustered in the foothills.

More than 200 pilgrims were inside the community kitchen when it was struck. 

Photographs and videos on social media showed widespread devastation, with damaged vehicles, household goods, and collapsed homes strewn across the area.

On Friday, authorities built makeshift bridges to allow stranded pilgrims to cross a muddy water channel and deployed dozens of earthmovers to clear boulders, uprooted trees, and electricity poles.

By evening, officials said nearly 4,000 stranded pilgrims had been evacuated from the forested region. Kishtwar district is also home to several hydroelectric projects, which experts have long warned could pose a major threat to its fragile ecosystem.