Pakistan Floods: Over 350 Dead as Cloudburst Destroys Villages; Buner Worst Hit | Spotlight | N18G
A sudden cloudburst in northern Pakistan has triggered the deadliest floods of this monsoon season, killing more than 337 people and wiping out entire villages. Buner district alone lost over 200 lives after 150mm of rain fell within an hour. Families were swept away, homes flattened, and rescue crews struggled against raging currents. Helicopters and relief teams raced to save survivors, though one chopper crash killed five crew members. Over 30,000 homes, schools, and croplands are destroyed. Experts warn that climate change is intensifying Pakistan’s vulnerability, leaving survivors facing not just loss, but an uphill battle to rebuild their lives.
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00:00A nature's fury struck Pakistan with little warning.
00:04On the 15th of August, a sudden cloudburst in the north unleashed torrents that tore through villages,
00:11uprooting trees, flattening homes and sweeping away entire families within minutes.
00:18Some still search desperately for the missing.
00:22Others lay crushed beneath rubble, while many fight for survival on life support.
00:28Torrential rains unleashed the deadliest floods of this monsoon season, killing over 300 people.
00:35Entire villages were wiped out and survivors pleaded for urgent help.
00:41In Kaibu Pakhtunkwa, massive trees were uprooted as muddy torrents crashed down the hill,
00:47with more than 150 millimeters of rain falling within an hour in the Buna district alone.
00:54Within minutes, home shops and mosques lay submerged.
00:58The death toll crossed over 350, with Buna accounting for more than 200 lives lost.
01:06The sheer force of water spared nothing.
01:10Vehicles were tossed aside, crushed under raging currents.
01:14Families sat helplessly as rescue crews pulled bodies from trees.
01:19One survivor compared the rains to the Day of Judgment, saying his entire village was destroyed when floodwaters burst through a Japanese-built bridge.
01:30Rescue operations were massive but dangerous.
01:34Helicopters and civilian teams searched for survivors, while tractors dug through mud-choked streets.
01:41But treacherous conditions persisted.
01:44One relief chopper even crashed, killing all five crew members.
01:49Still, emergency teams pushed on as officials declared a state of emergency.
01:55Beyond lives lost, the destruction was staggering.
01:59More than 30,000 homes were damaged.
02:02Schools and health centers lay in ruins.
02:05Croplins were swallowed.
02:06And social workers said that many bodies remained unrecovered, calling the damage massive.
02:28Pakistan's vulnerability to monsoon floods is nothing new.
02:31In 2022, catastrophic floods submerged one-third of the country, killed over 1,700 people, and affected 33 million more,
02:43with estimated losses exceeding $30 billion.
02:47Authorities needed at least $16 billion for recovery, yet only about two-thirds was pledged.
02:54Flashback to 2010, floods left nearly 2,000 dead, affected 20 million people, and caused up to $43 billion in economic damage.
03:07And the pattern continues.
03:09Experts link these intensifying floods to climate change, with rainfall intensity up 10-15%, and glacial mulls accelerating the danger.
03:20For Pakistan, a country that contributes less than 1% of global emissions, but ranks among the most climate-vulnerable, the stakes couldn't be higher.
03:32For survivors, the next battle is survival itself.
03:36With more heavy rains on the horizon, fears of fresh landslides loom large.
03:41And for Pakistan, already reeling from a deep economic crisis, the road to rebuilding is nothing short of uphill.
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