In Buner’s Qadar Nagar area, 25-year-old Noor Muhammad sits silently in his hujra (guest house) surrounded by volunteers from welfare organizations and local residents. After the funeral prayers, aid is being distributed by relief groups, while community members try to console the grief-stricken young man.

Every visitor shares the same words of sorrow, the catastrophic floods that struck Buner turned a joyous wedding celebration into a scene of mourning and tragedy.

Noor Muhammad recounts that just a day before the floods, preparations for his wedding were in full swing. Women in the family were eagerly waiting to bring home the bride. But on August 15, the deadly floodwaters washed away all his dreams and happiness.

For years, Noor Muhammad had been working as a laborer in Malaysia and was returning to his homeland to get married. However, his flight was delayed, and he arrived a day later than planned. He was carrying dreams of a new life, but on the way home, he received the devastating news that the ruthless flood had claimed his entire family.

The tragedy has left a deep scar on Noor Muhammad’s heart and mind. During conversations, he frequently falls silent, his tears dried up after five long days of grief. Pointing toward a room in his hujra, he says, “This room was being decorated for me, but now only watermarks of the flood remain on the walls.” He stops speaking and takes a deep breath as his cousin hugs him tightly in an attempt to comfort him.

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Across the flood-damaged stones from Noor Muhammad’s home lies the house of another victim, Abdullah. Here too, people have gathered for condolence. The horrific flood claimed Abdullah’s wife and four young children. 

Physically frail and emotionally shattered, Abdullah had recently returned from Saudi Arabia for vacations. One room of his house is still filled with mud and debris left by the flood, with scattered sandals and household items lying around. Today, Abdullah is left homeless and utterly alone in the world.

The recent floods in Buner have wiped out dozens of families, leaving survivors in a state of despair as they wait anxiously for news of their loved ones. Many bodies are still missing, and hopes of finding survivors have nearly vanished.

According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), more than 217 bodies have been recovered in Buner so far, and search and rescue operations are still underway to retrieve more.

Former Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) Mufti Fazal Ghafoor, who witnessed these heart-wrenching scenes, stated that he personally helped recover 51 bodies and organized their collective funerals.