'Death stared, ground trembled, end of world': Eyewitnesses on Pakistan flash floods

Flash floods triggered by heavy monsoonrains killed at least 344 people over the last 48 hours, with the authorities struggling to find bodies from the debris. Most of the deaths were reported from the country's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a mountainous province. At least 120 are injured. A resident of the province said that the ground shook with the force of the water, and it felt like "the end of the world".

At least 2000 personnel are pressed into the search and rescue operation. Bilal Ahmed Faizi, spokesman for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's rescue agency, has said that adverse weather conditions are making rescuing challenging.

"Heavy rainfall, landslides in several areas, and washed-out roads are causing significant challenges in delivering aid, particularly in transporting heavy machinery and ambulances," he said.

As the roads are closed because of the weather conditions and the flash flood, rescue workers are travelling on foot to conduct operations in remote regions.

The province's government has declared Buner, Bajaur, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, and Battagram districts as disaster-hit.

The department has issued a heavy rain alert.

Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah, a representative of the national disaster agency, said that the monsoon will intensify further, exacerbating the situation.

In Buner district, resident Azizullah said he thought the doomsday had arrived.

"I heard a loud noise as if the mountain was sliding. I rushed outside and saw the entire area shaking, like it was the end of the world," he said.

"The ground was trembling due to the force of the water, and it felt like death was staring me in the face," he added.

Another villager in Buner told AFP residents kept on searching through the rubble overnight.

"The entire area is reeling from profound trauma," said 32-year-old schoolteacher Saifullah Khan.

"We still have no clear idea who in this small village is alive and who is dead," he added.