DALORI BALA: Residents in a hilltop village in northwest Pakistan described how raging waters and rocks had swept through their homes after a cloudburst, as authorities said on Tuesday the toll from floods in the region over the past five days had risen to 365.
Flash floods triggered by cloudbursts in the mountainous northwest have brought destruction since Friday in the worst spell of this year’s monsoon, with officials warning of more storms ahead.
In Dalori Bala village near Gadoon mountains, the death toll climbed to 30 after rescue workers recovered more bodies from the rubble on Tuesday, one day after a cloudburst, said local district commissioner Nisar Khan.
At least nine more people are missing, he said.
Residents of the village of about 100 concrete houses in the mountains of Swabi district said a torrent of rocks came crashing onto homes, causing walls and roofs to collapse, as they were preparing for work on Monday morning.
It started with a “horrible”, thunderous noise at about 8 a.m., said Zeeshan Ali, a 20-year-old college student. “It took away everything in one go, in seconds,” he said.
His buffalos, as well as other belongings including electrical goods, were washed away, though his family was able to escape.
“We are in need of assistance,” said another resident, 45-year-old Bakht Zaman.
Buner, to the north, received more than 150 mm of rain within an hour triggered by a cloudburst on Friday morning, killing over 200 people — the single most destructive event in this monsoon season.–Reuters
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