Tragedy Strikes as Floods Claim Lives Before Wedding

Just two days before his wedding, Noor Muhammad shared a heartwarming phone conversation with his mother, mere hours before devastating floods in Pakistan tragically took her life, along with those of 23 other family members and relatives.

“I can’t articulate the extent of her joy,” he expressed, standing amidst the remnants of his family’s extensive 36-room residence, situated on the edge of a waterway in Qadir Nagar village.

The recent heavy rainfall has impacted the mountainous Buner district severely, accounting for over 200 of the nearly 400 fatalities caused by floods in the northwest since August 15.

Buner is located approximately three and a half hours away from Islamabad by car.

“Everything has been obliterated,” Muhammad, 25, lamented as mourners gathered at his damaged home to offer their condolences. He recounted how upon arriving home, he discovered only rubble and massive rocks that had cascaded down the mountains, accompanied by mud and powerful floodwaters, which decimated homes, markets, and structures.

“The flood descended, an immense deluge that swept away everything – my home, my mother, sister, brother, uncle, grandfather, and children.”

Muhammad is employed as a laborer in Malaysia. He landed at Islamabad airport on August 15, en route to his hometown, where wedding preparations were in full swing for the celebration scheduled two days later.

Instead, he was confronted with the sorrow of attending 24 funerals.

Among the deceased were his mother, a brother, and a sister, he recounted, adding that his father and another brother survived as they were en route to pick him up from the airport.

The remaining casualties included his uncles’ families, who shared the home built by his grandfather, as well as relatives attending his wedding.

His fiancée survived, as her home was spared from the worst of the destruction.

The flash floods, caused by this year’s intense monsoon season and cloudbursts that originated in the mountainous northwest, have extended to other regions of the country, which has a population of 240 million, causing widespread devastation and loss of life.

Authorities have attributed the prolonged period of intense rainfall and unusual cloudbursts to climate change resulting from global warming, expressing concern about the potential for increased intensity in the years ahead.

“Neither we nor our elders have ever witnessed a storm of this magnitude in our lives,” stated Muhammad Zeb, 28, a resident of Buner. He described the situation as utter chaos and a major calamity.

“As you can see, this area was once a beautiful place with homes. However, the flood and storm have swept everything away.”

Officials have reported that a number of individuals remain missing, and efforts to recover bodies are ongoing.

According to the National Disaster Management Authority, the total death toll across the country due to the monsoon rains, which commenced in late June, stands at 776. The authority also reported that over 25,000 individuals have been rescued in the northwest.

The army and air force have joined in the rescue and relief operations.

Authorities have issued warnings about further storms, with two more spells of monsoon rain anticipated until September 10.

Buner experienced over 150 mm (5.91 inches) of rain within a single hour, triggered by a cloudburst, marking the most destructive event of this monsoon season.

A cloudburst is a rare meteorological event characterized by rainfall exceeding 100mm (3.9 inches) within one hour in a localized area.

Muhammad reported that only four of the 28 individuals residing in his house survived.

“What more can we say? It is God’s will,” he resignedly stated.