Islamabad: At least 11 people lost their lives and six others were injured after torrential rains triggered sudden flash floods in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The flooding caused a sharp rise in the Swat River, leading to widespread damage. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) confirmed the casualties, as local media reported extensive rescue and relief operations underway in the affected areas.
According to the PDMA, those who lost their lives during the flood included four men, three women, and four children. It also reported that flash floods damaged as many as 56 houses, with 6 homes destroyed and 50 partially affected.
The Swat region has reportedly suffered significant loss of life and property, with confirmed 11 fatalities
The disaster management authority termed the flood level “very high,” as officials reported that dozens remained trapped while authorities went into action to deal with the aftermath of two days of continuous downpours. PDMA also issued alerts to authorities in Peshawar, Charsadda, and Nowshera to prepare for possible floodwaters risk from the Swat region, Pakistani leading daily The Express Tribune reported.
The Deputy Commissioner of Swat, Shahzad Mehboob, stated that flash floods in the Swat River have left 73 people trapped across multiple locations.
He also confirmed that 17 of the two tourist families died after 18 of them were carried away by flash floods on Friday in the Swat River.
The incident occurred in the Fizagat area, where the members of two families were having breakfast near the riverbank when a sudden rise in the water level swept away many of them, local media reported.
According to the rescue officials, three individuals have been pulled to safety during the rescue operation
“We received information about the drowning of these people around 8 am. There were guests on the bypass who were sitting on the bank of the river. These people were not aware of the water relay,” a rescue official said.
A horrific video capturing the tragic incident went viral on social media, which showed women and children stranded in the river as onlookers appeared visibly shocked.
(IANS)
