Survivors Dig Through Rubble After Deadly Cloudburst in Pakistan

Dalori, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan – 20 August 2025 – In the dead of night, illuminated only by the glow of mobile phones, rescuers and villagers tirelessly dug through the concrete remains of flattened homes after a devastating cloudburst sent boulders crashing down on the remote village of Dalori.

Devastation and Rescue Efforts

Using hammers, shovels, and their bare hands, locals cleared rubble to open blocked pathways in pitch darkness, as electricity was completely cut off in the area.

• The cloudburst struck on Monday, destroying at least 15 houses, damaging several more, and leaving nine people dead.
• Approximately 20 villagers remain trapped under debris.

“A huge bang came from the top of the mountain, and then dark smoke billowed into the sky,” said Lal Khan, a 46-year-old labourer. “A massive surge of water gushed down with the sliding mountain.”

Background: Monsoon Disaster

The cloudburst occurred amid heavy monsoon rains that have already claimed over 350 lives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, along the northwest border with Afghanistan.

Eyewitness Accounts

• Lal Khan described seeing a neighbour’s hand protruding from the rubble; rescuers later recovered her body along with those of her four children.
• Gul Hazir, another resident, recounted multiple cloudbursts striking the valley from both sides:”It was like an apocalyptic movie. Not water first, but rocks and stones smashing into houses.”

Local official Usman Khan noted that many homes were constructed in the middle of the stream bed, worsening the destruction.

“Heavy machinery cannot pass through narrow alleys, making rescue operations immensely challenging,” he added.

Human Struggle Amid Chaos

• Saqib Ghani, a student who lost his father, tried to dig through concrete with his bare hands to locate other relatives before being pulled to safety. Villagers provided him with water.
• The single access road to Dalori was demolished at multiple points, leaving gravel scattered across the village.
• Excavators worked at several sites to clear debris that clogged drainage channels.

Community Loss and Grief

• Dalori has already held funerals for five victims, while women mourned in dark homes without electricity.
• Unattended cattle roamed freely in the devastated alleys.

“I will not live here anymore,” said a grieving woman draped in a large shawl, following a coffin through the street.

Previously, villagers had been collecting funds to aid neighbouring flood-hit areas, but they were themselves overwhelmed by disaster.

“We didn’t know we would be needing help ourselves,” added Hazir.

This tragic cloudburst highlights the vulnerability of remote mountainous communities in northern Pakistan to monsoon-related flash floods and landslides, underscoring the urgent need for early warning systems and safer housing practices in these regions.