LONDON: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, who belongs to one of the flood-ravaged regions, has expressed deep sorrow over the devastation caused by flash floods and heavy rains in northern Pakistan that have claimed nearly 400 lives.
“My heart breaks for every community affected by the devastating floods in Pakistan, from Gilgit-Baltistan to Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and especially Buner, Swat, Bajaur and Shangla in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Malala wrote in a post on X. “My deepest condolences to everyone who has lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods.”
Malala hails from Shangla district in Malakand Division, one of the worst-hit areas. A report by the KP Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) stated that Shangla recorded 37 deaths, followed by Mansehra 23, Swat 22, Bajaur 21, Battagram 15, Lower Dir 5, and Abbottabad 1. The floods also destroyed 11 houses, partially damaged 63, and affected three schools in Swat and Shangla.
Meanwhile, rescuers continued struggling to recover bodies from muddy debris on Saturday as flash floods triggered by torrential monsoon rains left at least 344 people dead in the past 48 hours, according to authorities. The NDMA confirmed that 324 of the deaths occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone.
