At least 22 people died and 11 others were injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in accidents related to rain, strong winds, flash floods and landslides since June 25, according to a report by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).
Heavy rainfall and flash floods have wreaked havoc in the province while 18 people were swept away along the Swat River due to a sudden surge in the gushing water. Authorities have warned of potential flash floods and landslides as monsoon rains continue across the province.
The PDMA released a report on the loss of life and property due to rain-related incidents in different districts of the province including Swat, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Chitral, Buner, Swabi, Kurram Charsadda, Malakand, Shangla, Lower Dir, Torghar, and South Waziristan.
According to the report, the victims include seven men, five women and 10 children, while the injured include six men, four women and one child. A total of 75 houses were damaged due to rain, of which 64 were partially and 11 completely destroyed.
Swat was the most affected district, in which 14 people were killed and six people were injured, the report added.
The PDMA instructed the district administration to provide immediate assistance to the affected families and ensure the provision of medical facilities to the injured.
The disaster management agency said rains are likely to continue till July 1. The PDMA has already issued a letter to the district administration to remain alert and take preventive measures.
Rescue operation continues in Swat River
Meanwhile, rescue officials continued a search operation on the fourth straight day in the Swat River on Monday after a group of 13 tourists went missing amid heavy rainfall and a flash flood.
Efforts are being made to recover the body of a child who is still missing since Friday, while 12 bodies were found earlier.
Rescue teams are conducting search operations in various location along the river including Swat bypass, Kanju and Brikot to locate the missing child.
Adviser to the chief minister on information in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif assured that action will be taken against those responsible for the drowning of the tourists.
Speaking to the media, the adviser said 80 people have been rescued in the flash floods. He added that the provincial government will take ‘indiscriminate’ action against encroachments along the Swat River.
Saif claimed that sending a helicopter to rescue the tourists swept away by flash floods was not possible as the air ambulance lacked equipment.
“We have an air ambulance. But according to civil aviation, pilots, and other experts, it was not possible to rescue [the tourists] from the location,” he added.
He said the air ambulance is used to transport the injured but does not have the equipment required to airlift people in rescue operations.
He further said sending the air ambulance in the inclement weather conditions and tough terrain would have caused a disaster rather than rescue the stranded people.
Saif said those demanding KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s resignation are also responsible for the deaths in Tharparkar, Sindh.
Earlier, CM Gandapur directed his inspection team to probe into the deaths in Swat River’s flash flood. He also expressed sorrow over the tragedy and announced compensation for the deceased.
The government suspended three officials from Swat’s district administration and one from the relief rehabilitation and settlement department.
People from all walks of life took to the streets on Saturday to protest the deaths, claiming that local residents reached out to Rescue 1122, local administration and other departments but received a late response, leading to the loss of lives.
The Swat Olasi Pasoon and civil society members demonstrated at Nishat Chowk in Mingora against the delayed response of authorities to the call of stranded tourists for help.
Political activists, traders and lawyers also joined them, blaming the Swat River deaths on the negligence of the district administration and rescue officials. The protesters called for the introduction of a modern rescue system, with helicopter service, and an early flood warning system.
They also voiced concerns about the growing riverbed mining in Swat, saying that the unchecked activity has altered the natural course of the Swat River, causing environmental damage and creating dangerous conditions for residents and visitors alike.
They demanded accountability over the flood-related deaths and improvement in disaster management and safety protocols to prevent such incidents in the future.
