AdSense Advertisement

Pakistan’s Northwest Records Over 6,000 Deaths as Emergency Services Respond to 271,000 Incidents in 2025

By Zahid Shah

PESHAWAR - Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province recorded more than 6,000 fatalities in 2025 as emergency responders dealt with a surge in accidents, medical crises and disasters, according to an official performance review released on Friday.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Emergency Rescue Service, Rescue 1122, said it responded to over 271,000 emergencies across the province during the year, underscoring the scale of public safety challenges in the region.

The figures were presented at the service’s annual review meeting held at its provincial headquarters in Peshawar.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmad Faizi said the emergencies included more than 169,000 medical cases, 25,000 road traffic accidents and 5,691 fire incidents.

Other responses involved 780 drowning cases, 4,439 crime-related incidents, 194 building and roof collapses, 10 mine blasts, and 93 gas and cylinder explosions. A further 6,924 incidents fell under miscellaneous categories.

According to the report, Rescue 1122 provided emergency medical assistance to over 289,000 injured and ill individuals, transporting them to nearby hospitals. Through its Health Ambulance Referral Service, an additional 58,800 critically injured or seriously ill patients were shifted within districts or referred to major hospitals for specialized treatment. Overall, 6,185 fatalities were recorded during these incidents.

Faizi said the service ensured coverage across urban centers, merged districts and former tribal areas, including temporary rescue points at key tourist destinations. He reaffirmed Rescue 1122’s commitment to strengthening training, equipment and coordination to improve emergency response capacity across the province.