ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR  -  The death toll from flash floods and landslides caused by heavy rains in the northern region rises to 344, officials said on Saturday.

The majority of the deaths were reported in Buner in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where 328 people were killed and 143 were injured in rain and flood-related incidents, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

Over the last 48 hours, five people were also killed in Gilgit-Baltistan and nine in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, also known as Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Schools have been closed on Saturday in Azad Jammu and Kashmir due to the continued risk as heavy rains continue to batter the territory. Dozens of houses have been damaged in affected areas.

Communications in multiple areas have also been cut off due to mobile phone towers being damaged. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government declared an emergency in all flood-affected areas as the death toll climbed, and the search and rescue operation for missing people continues.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority issued a notification declaring nine districts as flood-affected, including Swat, Battagram, Bajaur, Buner, Dir Lower, Dir Upper, Mansehra, Torghar, and Shangla. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday also observed a day of mourning to express sorrow and grief over the loss of precious lives across the province.

According to the NDMA, rescue and relief teams from the Pakistan Army, PDMA, district administration, and Rescue 1122 have already arrived in the affected areas and are actively involved in rescue and relief efforts. The authority also advised tourists to avoid the northern areas for the next five to six days due to heavy rains and landslides.

A helicopter carrying relief supplies to the cloudburst-hit Bajaur area crashed on Friday, killing five crew members, including two pilots, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Heavy rain and cloudbursts caused widespread flooding in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, spokesperson for the provincial rescue unit, Bilal Ahmed Faizi, told Anadolu on Friday.

Rescue teams said heavy rain and a cloudburst had caused massive flooding in the Salarzai area of the Bajaur district early Friday, resulting in the washing away of several houses.

Authorities have relocated many residents to safer places due to rains and landslides in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Gilgit-Baltistan region. The National Disaster Management Authority has warned of another spell of monsoon rains from Friday until Sept. 10.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Saturday forecast widespread torrential rains across the country in the coming days, warning of possible flash floods, urban flooding, and landslides.

Monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal were continuously penetrating into Pakistan, while a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal is expected to move westward from August 17, further intensifying monsoon activity. A westerly wave was also present, increasing the likelihood of heavy downpours.

According to the forecast, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are likely to receive widespread rain-wind/thundershowers with heavy to very heavy falls at times between August 17 and 19.

The areas expected to be most affected include Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Hunza, Skardu, Gilgit, Astore, and Diamir.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, torrential rains are predicted from August 17 to 19 in several districts including Swat, Dir, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Charsadda, Nowshera, Kohat, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Tank, and Dera Ismail Khan.

In Punjab and Islamabad, widespread rains are expected in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Faisalabad, and surrounding areas from August 17 to 19, with occasional heavy falls.

 Southern Punjab districts including Multan, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, and D.G. Khan are likely to experience scattered rains with isolated heavy falls from August 18 to 20.

In Sindh, Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Tharparkar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Sukkur, Larkana, and other districts may face rain-wind/thundershowers with heavy falls from August 17 to 22.

In Balochistan, Zhob, Khuzdar, Lasbela, Awaran, Kech, Gwadar, Panjgur, and Musakhel are expected to receive rain with isolated heavy falls between August 17 and 21.

The Met Office has warned that torrential rains may trigger flash floods in local streams of northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galliyat, Rawalpindi, and Kashmir between August 17 and 19, while hill torrents in D.G. Khan and eastern Balochistan may also swell dangerously from August 18 to 21. 

Urban flooding is feared in low-lying areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, and other major cities. Landslides and mudslides may block roads in hilly areas of KP, GB, Murree, and Kashmir.

The PMD has also cautioned that heavy rainfall, strong winds, and lightning could damage weak structures, electric poles, billboards, vehicles, and solar panels.

The public, especially travelers and tourists, has been advised to remain cautious, avoid unnecessary exposure to vulnerable areas, and stay updated with the latest weather alerts. 

All concerned authorities have been instructed to stay on high alert and take precautionary measures to minimize risks.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is personally monitoring the rescue and relief operations in the flood-affected areas of the upper region in the country, officials said.

In this regard, the Prime Minister is in constant contact with the Chairman NDMA to ensure the delivery of relief supplies to the affected districts, the evacuation of people to safe places, and the speedy and effective search operation for missing persons.

On the special directives of the Prime Minister, the Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan spent the whole day in the flood-affected areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and personally supervised the delivery of relief supplies.

Shehbaz Sharif directed to further intensify rescue operations in flood affected areas and asked to provide tents, medicines, immediate medical assistance and all related facilities to flood victims on priority basis.

The Prime Minister instructed to provide advance weather information to residents of affected and adjacent areas of flood. He asked NDMA to be prepared for any possible emergency.

He further directed National Disaster Management Authority to further solidify its contacts with the Provincial Disaster Management Authorities and the Disaster Management Institutions of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan and provide them with all kinds of assistance.

He directed to expedite rescue operation to immediately restore the roads closed due to rains and landslides. The Prime Minister directed to provide assistance to passengers, stranded on blocked highways immediately.