Hopes for survivors wane after fatal flood

Torrential rains leave at least 344 dead

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Pakistani rescuers dug homes out from under massive boulders on Sunday as they searched for survivors of flash floods that killed at least 344 people, with more than 150 others still missing.

Torrential rains across the country since Thursday have caused flooding, rising waters and landslides that have swept away entire villages and left many residents trapped in the rubble.

Most of the deaths, 317, were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where monsoon rains that are only expected to intensify in the days ahead drove flooding and landslides that collapsed houses.

“We saw all the houses, buildings and vehicles being swept away like pieces of wood. We managed to climb up the mountain, and when we looked down, our home was gone,” said Suleman Khan, a schoolteacher in Buner district who lost 25 relatives.

More than 150 people are missing in Buner, where at least 208 people were killed and “10 to 12 entire villages” were partially buried, officials told AFP.

“They could be trapped under the rubble of their homes or swept away by floodwaters,” said Asfandyar Khattak, head of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority.

“Separately, in Shangla district, dozens of people are also reported missing,” Mr Khattak added.