Flash floods kill more than 160 in Pakistan, dozens missing

At least 164 people have died in the last 24 hours in heavy monsoon floods and landslides in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Most of the deaths, 150, were recorded by disaster authorities in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in northern Pakistan. At least 30 homes were destroyed and a rescue helicopter crashed during operations, killing its five crew.

Nine more people were killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, while five died in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, it said.

Government forecasters said heavy rainfall was expected until 21 August and there is a heavy rain alert for the northwest of the country. Several regions have been declared disaster zones.

 At least 31 people have been killed and dozens have gone missing due to heavy rains in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the National Disaster Management Authority reported, citing data for the past 12 hours.

As many as 325 people, including 142 children, have lost their lives due to floods, landslides, house collapses, and lightning strikes since monsoon rains hit the country on June 26, the agency specified, adding that more than 740 people have been injured.

The country's authorities are making efforts to save people and mitigate damage caused by the natural disaster. Temporary hospitals and camps have been set up for citizens who have lost their homes.

The work of rescuers is complicated by ongoing downpours, the collapse of transport infrastructure, and disruptions in mobile communications in the stricken areas.

The monsoon season in Pakistan usually lasts from June to September, bringing high rainfall that is vital for farming but often triggers floods and other natural disasters in the area.