Residents sift through debris following a cloudburst in Pakistan

In the heart of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, nestled amidst the northwest border with Afghanistan, the picturesque village of Dalori has been transformed into a scene of devastation. A catastrophic cloudburst has claimed the lives of nine villagers, leaving many mourning in the dark, without electricity.

The disaster, one of several instances of heavy monsoon rains that have swept across the region, has resulted in flooding, landslides, and the loss of over 200 people, with about 200 still missing.

Fellow resident Gul Hazir described the event as an "apocalyptic movie", with a massive amount of rocks and stones striking the houses. Lal Khan, a 46-year-old local laborer, witnessed a huge bang and dark smoke billowing from the top of the mountain, followed by a massive surge of water and sliding mountain.

Many houses in Dalori were built in the middle of the stream bed, worsening the scale of destruction, according to local administration official Usman Khan. Excavators are working at several sites in Dalori to remove debris that had clogged the drainage channels and blocked the flow of water.

The cloudburst struck at least 11 separate locations in the area, making it difficult for water to recede. The single road leading to the village was demolished at several points, and gravel was scattered across the settlement. Heavy machinery cannot pass through the narrow alleys of Dalori, making rescue operations challenging, according to Usman Khan.

Rescuers and villagers are digging through the concrete remains of flattened houses using hammers, shovels, and bare hands. Saqib Ghani, a student, was searching for relatives and tried to claw through the concrete with his bare hands before being rescued.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is responsible for coordinating rescue and relief efforts in the affected village of Dalori after the landslides and floods. However, the villagers, who had been collecting money to help people in neighboring flood-hit areas, were themselves overwhelmed by disaster and lost everything.

Authorities have warned of fresh flash floods in the coming days. The villagers face a daunting task of rebuilding their lives amidst the ruins, but their spirit of resilience remains unbroken. Khan expressed feelings of helplessness, stating that they do not have the means to tackle the calamity caused by the natural disaster.

In the aftermath of the disaster, photos taken by AFP depict a stark landscape of destruction. Unattended cattle are wandering freely amid the devastation in the village's narrow alleys. The villagers of Dalori stand together, mourning their losses, but determined to rebuild their lives and community.