Malaysia-returned groom-to-be loses 24 family members in KP flash floods

A man who had returned from Malaysia to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for marriage plans was struck by tragedy when devastating flash floods claimed the lives of 24 members of his family.

The catastrophic floods in Pakistan turned what was meant to be a joyous occasion for 25-year-old Noor Muhammad into an unspeakable tragedy.

His wedding preparations ended with the loss of 24 family members, including his mother.

Just two days before the wedding, Noor had spoken to his mother in a long phone call. But only hours later, the floods engulfed his mother, relatives, and dozens of other family members.

Noor Muhammad, who had been working as a laborer in Malaysia, returned to Islamabad Airport on August 15 to finalize arrangements for his marriage.

Instead, he found himself standing in front of the rubble of his ancestral 36-room house in Qadir Nagar village, perched on the banks of a flood channel in mountainous Buner.

Read more: 325 dead as heavy rains, flash floods wreak havoc in KP

Tearfully recounting the devastation, he said: "When I reached home, nothing was left—only debris and heavy boulders rolling down from the mountains. The floods destroyed homes, markets, and entire buildings."

He added: "It was like a destructive storm that swept everything away—my home, my mother, sisters, brothers, uncles, grandfather, and children."

Since August 15, nearly 400 people have been killed in Buner district, with more than 200 deaths reported in Noor Muhammad’s area alone.