Pakistan is grappling with relentless monsoon rains, as officials warn of even heavier downpours in the coming days.The death toll due to the flash flood continues to climb, killing at least 327 people in the country’s north, bringing the nationwide toll to nearly 650 since the rains began on 26 June.On Sunday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department issued a fresh alert, warning of heavier rainfall nationwide, from 17 to 21 August. It urged residents in the northwest to take “precautionary measures” amid fears of worsening floods. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said the downpours, which began earlier than usual this year, are expected to continue with greater intensity over the next fortnight, as per PTI.Khyber Pakhtunkhwa saw the hardest hit, with 327 deaths confirmed so far. The Buner district alone has reported more than 200 fatalities, making it the worst-affected area. At least 137 people have been injured across the province as houses collapsed and raging torrents swept away residents, livestock and vehicles.Rescue efforts are proving difficult. Nearly 2,000 personnel have been deployed, but landslides, washed-out bridges and broken link routes have slowed relief work. “Heavy rainfall, landslides and washed-out roads are severely hampering rescue efforts, particularly the transportation of heavy machinery and ambulances,” Bilal Ahmed Faizi, spokesman for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s rescue agency told PTI. “In some areas, workers are forced to walk long distances to reach disaster sites. They are trying to evacuate survivors, but very few people are relocating due to the deaths of their relatives or loved ones being trapped in the debris.”Buner’s deputy commissioner Kashif Qayum Khan confirmed that rescuers were searching for alternative routes to reach cut-off areas. “Many more people may still be trapped under the debris, which local residents cannot clear manually,” he said.The Pakistan Army’s Corps of Engineers Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team has also launched operations in Buner, Shangla and Swat. Using advanced equipment, they are working to recover those trapped under rubble while also repairing damaged roads and bridges. Local villagers have joined the effort, combing through debris with their bare hands.Funerals were being held across devastated villages, as survivors struggled to search through the ruins by hands. “I helped retrieve the bodies of children I taught,” said Saifullah Khan, a schoolteacher in Buner. “The trauma is unbearable.”On Saturday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM Ali Amin Khan Gandapur visited Buner to review rescue and relief operations. According to a briefing given to him, cloudbursts struck seven village councils in the district, destroying 5,380 houses. So far, 209 deaths have been confirmed, with 134 people still missing and 159 injured.Rescue personnel, doctors, paramedics, police, civil defence volunteers and three battalions of the Pakistan Army are working together. Around 3,500 stranded people have been evacuated to safety, while the search for the missing continues. Gandapur pledged that the provincial government would provide full support, PTI reported. “No effort will be spared in the rehabilitation of flood victims. The provincial government will provide all necessary resources on a priority basis,” he said. He also announced the release of Rs 1.5 billion for relief and rehabilitation.Authorities have now declared six districts, Buner, Bajaur, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra and Battagram, as disaster-hit. Nationwide, the NDMA reported that torrential monsoon rains have left more than 650 people dead and 905 injured this season. Floodwaters have destroyed livestock, shops, vehicles and vital infrastructure. While some key roads reopened temporarily on Saturday, many remote areas remain cut off.