Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — In the wake of one of the deadliest flood disasters in recent memory, residents of Buner district remain stranded on rooftops and higher ground, too terrified to return to homes now buried in mud and debris.
Since Friday, relentless downpours and sudden cloudbursts have unleashed flash floods across northern Pakistan, killing at least 341 people, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). Buner has suffered the greatest toll, with over 200 fatalities, including dozens of women and children.
“It Felt Like Doomsday”
For many, the destruction was almost beyond comprehension.
“Everybody is scared. Children are scared. They cannot sleep,” said 24-year-old Sahil Khan, who fled to a rooftop with fellow villagers when the waters rose again on Monday. Describing the scene, he called it “a doomsday scenario.”
With homes swept away and markets buried under several feet of mud, many survivors have taken shelter with relatives or in makeshift camps set up on higher ground. Roads remain blocked, making it difficult for rescuers to bring in heavy equipment.
Buner at the Epicenter of the Crisis
The flash floods have ravaged northern districts, but Buner has borne the worst impact. Streets once lined with shops are now unrecognizable, choked with mud, rubble, and wrecked vehicles. In Bayshonai Kalay, residents scrambled to safety again on Monday as a swollen water channel threatened to flood their village for a second time.
“People are out of their homes. They are fearful. They have climbed up in the mountains,” said Dayar Khan, a 26-year-old shopkeeper.
Rescue Operations Hampered
Relief efforts resumed late Monday after heavy rainfall forced a temporary suspension. “Our priority is now to clear the roads, set up bridges and bring relief to the affected people,” said regional officer Abid Wazir.
Elsewhere in the province, flooding killed 11 more people in Swabi district, where landslides and collapsed houses in remote Daroli Bala cut off access for several hours. Local officials reported dozens missing after being swept away by surging waters.
More Rains Ahead
Disaster management authorities warn the danger is far from over. Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik, head of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), cautioned that two further spells of heavy rain are expected between August 21 and September 10, raising the risk of more cloudbursts.
Experts say climate change is already reshaping Pakistan’s monsoon. “Global warming has shifted the rainfall pattern roughly 100 kilometers west of its usual track,” explained Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah, who oversees risk assessment at NDMA.
Friday’s cloudburst in Buner dropped more than 150mm of rain in just one hour—a rare and devastating phenomenon that overwhelmed local defenses.
A Nationwide Disaster
Across Pakistan, seasonal rains and floods since late June have claimed at least 660 lives, underscoring the country’s growing vulnerability to extreme weather events. Relief convoys carrying food, medicine, blankets, tents, generators, and pumps are now heading to the worst-hit districts.
For the people of Buner, however, survival remains a daily struggle. With rain clouds still looming, the thought of returning home feels less like recovery and more like another risk to endure.
