In Pakistan, the death toll from torrential rains rises to 320

The death toll continues to rise hour by hour in northern Pakistan, hit by an "unusually" intense monsoon , according to authorities. According to the latest report, released Saturday, August 16, by the Disaster Management Authority, more than 320 people have died in 48 hours, while rescuers are still trying to recover buried bodies.

Over the past two days, the deadliest torrential rains have occurred in various districts of the mountainous northern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which alone has recorded 307 deaths, the Disaster Management Authority said.

In this province bordering Afghanistan, still hit by intense rainfall, more than 2,000 rescuers are mobilized to try to find survivors or recover bodies buried under the rubble, Bilal Ahmed Faizi, spokesman for the provincial rescue service, told Agence France-Presse on Saturday.

"Heavy rains, landslides and blocked roads are hampering ambulance access, and rescuers are having to travel on foot," he added. Rescue workers are "trying to evacuate survivors, but very few are willing to leave because they have lost loved ones who are still trapped in the rubble," Faizi continued.

Nine other people died in Pakistani Kashmir, and five in the tourist region of Gilgit-Baltistan, in the far north of the country, particularly popular with mountaineers from around the world during the summer, but which the authorities now recommend avoiding.

Separately, a rescue helicopter crashed on Friday, killing five more people. Indian-administered Kashmir has also been hit by the torrential rains, with at least 60 people killed in a Himalayan village – while another 80 remain missing.

Most of the victims were swept away by flash floods; others were killed when their houses collapsed or were electrocuted. "More than half of the victims died because of poor quality structures," said Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah of the National Disaster Management Authority. In total, since the start of this summer monsoon, 634 people, including around 100 children, have been killed and 768 injured.