A man carries his bicycle as he wades along a flooded road after heavy monsoon rains in Karachi on August 20, 2025. More than 20 people died in a fresh spell of deadly monsoon rain in Pakistan, National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) said on August 20. (Photo by Rizwan TABASSUM / AFP)
More than 400 people have lost their lives as torrential monsoon rains wreak havoc across Pakistan, sweeping away entire villages and triggering deadly landslides, authorities confirmed on Wednesday.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), at least 20 people died in the last 24 hours, including 11 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 10 in Karachi, following house collapses, electrocution, and urban flooding.
đź“Ś Karachi Submerged
In Karachi, Pakistan’s financial hub of over 20 million residents, roads were turned into rivers, crumbling infrastructure worsened flooding, and power cuts left multiple neighborhoods in darkness. Schools were shut down as the meteorological department warned of more rainfall until Saturday.
Chief meteorologist of Sindh province, Amir Hyder Laghari, said poor infrastructure and outdated sewer systems were key reasons for the city’s flooding.
đź“Ś Northern Provinces Worst-Hit
The mountainous region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been hit hardest, with more than 350 deaths reported since last Thursday. Villages were buried under landslides and floodwaters, leaving dozens missing.
In Buner district alone, over 220 fatalities were recorded. Relief camps have been set up by the army, providing food, medical aid, and shelter.
“The children are scared. They cannot sleep at night due to fear. The flood has destroyed entire settlements,” said Anjum Anwar, a medical camp official.
đź“Ś National Emergency Response
Authorities said over 50 houses were damaged in two districts, while excavators worked around the clock to clear blocked drainage channels.
NDMA chairman Inam Haider Malik warned that another spell of rain is expected by the end of August and rainfall will likely continue until mid-September.
đź“Ś Climate Change Concerns
Pakistan is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. This year’s monsoon season, which began in June, has already claimed nearly 750 lives.
The devastating floods recall the 2022 disaster, when one-third of Pakistan was submerged, leaving nearly 1,700 dead.
