Torrential monsoon rains and a series of cloudbursts have unleashed widespread flash floods and landslides across Pakistan’s northern regions and neighbouring India-controlled Kashmir. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority said on Friday that at least 229 people have been killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) during the past 24 hours, with Swat, Bajaur and Battagram among the worst-affected districts. Fourteen people were injured and dozens of homes were damaged or swept away, while rescue teams continue to search for missing residents. Relief operations suffered a setback when an MI-17 helicopter delivering supplies to Salarzai in Bajaur crashed in Mohmand district, killing both pilots and three other crew members. Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur declared a provincial day of mourning, ordering flags to fly at half-mast and promising state funerals for the crew. The Pakistan Army said troops are conducting flood-relief operations in Swat and Bajaur, and federal authorities have placed additional helicopters and medical teams on standby. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has convened an emergency meeting with the National Disaster Management Authority, which warned that further moderate to heavy rainfall is likely between 18 and 22 August across KP, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir and parts of Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab. The NDMA has urged provincial administrations to prepare evacuation plans and advised the public to avoid low-lying areas and fast-rising mountain streams. Across the border, a cloudburst in Kishtwar, Jammu & Kashmir, on 14 August triggered flash floods that local officials say have killed about 60 people and left dozens missing. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha, offering federal assistance, while the Indian Air Force placed two Mi-17s and an Advanced Light Helicopter on standby. National Disaster Response Force teams and police continue to search for survivors amid forecasts of more rain.