BAR DALORI, Pakistan, Aug 19, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Rescuers and residents resumed 
searching on Tuesday for survivors as the death toll from five days of 
torrential rain rose to almost 400, with authorities warning monsoon 
downpours would continue until the weekend.

Torrential rains across Pakistan's north have caused flooding and landslides 
that have swept away entire villages, leaving many residents trapped in the 
rubble and scores missing.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said 356 people were killed 
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a mountainous province in Pakistan's northwest 
bordering Afghanistan, since Thursday evening.

Dozens more were killed in surrounding regions, taking the toll in the past 
five days to almost 400.

Rescuers dug through mud and stone in hard-hit Dalori village in Khyber 
Pakhtunkhwa in the hope of finding survivors and the bodies of people 
missing.

Villagers stood watching and praying as the rescuers worked, a day after the 
search was halted by more intense rain.

Umar Islam, a 31-year-old labourer, struggled to hold back his tears as he 
spoke about his father, who was killed on Monday.

"Our misery is beyond explanation," Islam told AFP as neighbours tried to 
console him.

"In a matter of minutes, we lost everything we had," he said.

"Our lives are ruined."

Fazal Akbar, 37, another villager, described the aftermath of the floods as 
"terrifying".

"It happened so suddenly that no one even had a minute to react. 
Announcements were made from the mosque, and villagers rushed to begin the 
rescue themselves," said Akbar.

"In less than 20 minutes, our village was reduced to ruins."

- More rain -

Many roads have been damaged, making it hard for rescuers to reach areas 
damaged by the floods.

Communication also remains difficult, with phone networks hit in flood-
affected areas.

Heavy rain also began falling on Tuesday in southern parts of Pakistan that 
had so far been spared the worst of the monsoon downpours.

The rain was expected to continue until Saturday, and "another spell is to 
start by the end of the month", said NDMA chairman Lieutenant General Inam 
Haider Malik.

More than 700 people have been killed in the monsoon rains since June 26, the 
NDMA said, with close to 1,000 injured. The monsoon is expected to last until 
mid-September.

Authorities also warned of urban flooding in big cities in coastal areas of 
Sindh province, including the financial capital Karachi, "due to weak 
infrastructure".

It has also been raining in 15 districts in neighbouring Balochistan 
province, and the main highway connecting it with Sindh has been blocked for 
heavy vehicles, said provincial disaster official Muhammad Younis.

Between 40 and 50 houses had been damaged in two districts, he said.

Landslides and flash floods are common during the monsoon season, which 
typically begins in June and lasts until the end of September.

Pakistan is among the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of 
climate change and is increasingly facing extreme weather events.

Monsoon floods submerged one-third of Pakistan in 2022, resulting in 
approximately 1,700 deaths.