SWAT, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — When torrents of muddy water rushed toward a government primary school in Swat’s Mangalore area, Headmaster Saeed Ahmed had only minutes to act. His decision to dismiss classes early spared nearly 950 children from being swept away.
“I saw the nearby stream rising too fast,” Ahmed told local media. “I asked teachers to send the children home immediately.”
Moments after the last student left, a wall of water smashed through the school compound, tearing down its boundary wall and filling classrooms within minutes. The building now lies in ruins, but all 936 pupils made it out alive — a rare story of survival in a week otherwise dominated by tragedy.
Rising Death Toll Across the North
While Swat narrowly avoided a catastrophe, other regions were less fortunate. Rescuers spent Sunday clawing through giant boulders and collapsed homes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The national death toll from monsoon-triggered floods has now surpassed 300, with casualties mounting daily.
Heavy rainfall since Thursday has triggered flash floods and landslides, sweeping away villages and leaving survivors stranded in mud-filled ruins. In Buner district, residents shoveled debris from their homes as mass funerals were held for victims wrapped in simple white cloth.
Monsoon Rains: Lifeline and Threat
Pakistan’s monsoon brings essential water for crops but has increasingly become a season of destruction. Officials say this year’s rainfall is 50–60% heavier than in 2024, with at least two more intense spells expected through early September.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has warned that the situation may worsen, stressing that communities in northern valleys remain particularly at risk from flash floods and landslides.
International Response and Local Pleas
Support offers have begun trickling in. Iran pledged assistance to help flood victims, while Pope Leo XIV extended prayers for those suffering. On the ground, however, immediate needs remain urgent.
Standing outside the wreckage of his school, Ahmed appealed for swift government reconstruction so classes can resume. For the children of Mangalore, the headmaster’s decision spared their lives — but without classrooms, their education now hangs in the balance.
Climate Vulnerability Laid Bare
This disaster underscores Pakistan’s growing vulnerability to climate extremes. In 2022, unprecedented floods killed nearly 1,700 people and submerged a third of the country. Experts warn such events are becoming more frequent and more intense.
For now, families across northern Pakistan are clearing mud, mourning their dead, and bracing for the next round of monsoon rains.
