By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Flash floods triggered by heavy rains in the Swat River in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have killed at least eight people and left another four missing, officials said on Friday as rescue teams scrambled to locate survivors and recover victims amid surging floodwaters in the northwest.
At least 18 people went missing after being swept away in the Swat River, originates in the high glacial valleys of the Hindu Kush mountains, from where it flows into the Kalam area before forming the spine of the wider Swat valley.
Six have been rescued by the authorities.
The flash floods resulted from heavy rain, rapidly raising river water to dangerous levels at several locations across the Swat valley, according to the rescue service.
The deluge has swamped multiple areas in the Swat district, stranding dozens of people across various locations, according to an initial report from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rescue 1122.
KP Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah confirmed that of the 18 individuals reported missing, the bodies of eight have been recovered, while three have been rescued alive.
“Rescue operations are currently being conducted at eight different locations in Swat,” a statement from Rescue 1122 said. The agency reported that 75 people were trapped along the Swat River near a bypass road, with 58 successfully rescued so far. At least 120 personnel from Rescue 1122 have been deployed to assist in the efforts.
In Ingaroderai, three bodies were pulled from the floodwaters, while in Ghalegy, one body was recovered and seven people remain stranded as rescue teams work to reach them. In Imam Dhirai, a team from Rescue Station 33 saved 22 people trapped by rising waters. Seven others are still marooned in Manyar, where Rescue Stations 44 and 55 are coordinating efforts, and one person awaits rescue in Panjigram village.
Meanwhile, between 20 and 30 individuals were extracted from Bara Bamakhela. “All Rescue 1122 teams are present on site and rescue operations are in full swing,” the agency’s report stated.
The flooding, fueled by a surge in the Swat River’s flow to 77,782 cusecs at Khwazakhela, a level classified as a “very high flood”, prompted urgent action from local authorities.
Charsadda Deputy Commissioner Qaiser Khan issued a flood alert, placing staff on high alert and deploying rescue teams to the banks of the Swat and Kabul rivers.
“Announcements were made via mosque loudspeakers to inform the public about the dangers of floodwater,” Khan said, adding that officials were urging residents to relocate to safer areas. “We are keeping an eye on the Munda headworks; until 3 p.m., the flow was normal.”
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued warning of potential further risks as water levels rise. In a directive to the deputy commissioners of Peshawar, Charsadda, and Nowshera, the PDMA called for immediate steps to safeguard lives, infrastructure, crops, and livestock.
The agency instructed local administrations to pinpoint vulnerable areas and implement safety measures, while Rescue 1122, Civil Defence, and other emergency services were ordered to maintain heightened readiness, particularly in low-lying zones.
Communities along the Kabul River and its tributaries are being warned of rising waters, with authorities ensuring the evacuation of at-risk populations and the provision of shelter, food, and medical supplies at designated camps. Farmers and herders have been advised to move livestock to higher ground, and the public has been urged to avoid travel in flood-prone areas.
The PDMA also directed departments to prepare for road clearance and position emergency equipment strategically. Its Provincial Emergency Operations Centre remains operational around the clock, accessible via the helpline 1700.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif voiced grief over the deaths of tourists caught in the floods, offering condolences to their families.
He ordered an immediate search for the missing and instructed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and local officials to issue safety advisories near rivers and streams amid ongoing extreme weather nationwide.
President Asif Ali Zardari also mourned the losses. “I express my heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the families of the deceased,” he said. “I share the sorrow with the affected families in this hour of grief. May Allah Almighty grant the deceased a place in the realm of mercy and grant patience to those left behind.”
Senator Sherry Rehman called the incident “an irreparable tragedy.” “The loss of precious lives in the flood is an irreparable tragedy,” she said. “My heartfelt sympathy to the affected families in this hour of grief. I pray that as many people as possible can be saved in the rescue operation.”
Pakistan is currently bracing for another extreme monsoon season and ramping up efforts to deal with any potential calamity.
In 2022, deadly floods brought by record monsoon rains and glacial melt killed over 1,700 people and impacted 33 million people in Pakistan. Raging currents swept away homes, vehicles, crops and livestock in damages estimated at $30 billion.
Meanwhile, a powerful monsoon system swept into southern Pakistan on Thursday, dousing Karachi, Hyderabad, and other parts of Sindh province with moderate to heavy rainfall, breaking a prolonged dry spell and offering respite from oppressive summer heat.
But as the Pakistan Meteorological Department forecasts more rain through the weekend, authorities are bracing for potential urban flooding and disruptions across the region.
The Met Office, in an advisory issued on Friday, reported that “strong monsoon currents are penetrating over the province,” setting the stage for widespread thunderstorms and rain, with moderate to isolated heavy falls expected through June 29.
The affected areas span a broad swath of Sindh, including Karachi, Hyderabad, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Dadu, Sukkur, Larkana, Qamber Shahdadkot, Shikarpur, Khairpur, Naushahro Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad, Mitiari, Sanghar, Jamshoro, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Jacobabad, Ghotki, Kashmore, and Tharparker districts.
In Karachi, Pakistan’s sprawling economic hub, the forecast for Friday calls for intermittent thunderstorms and rain, with moderate to heavy downpours in some areas. Maximum temperatures are expected to hover between 32 and 34 degrees Celsius, with humidity levels reaching 78 percent. Saturday’s outlook is similar, with intermittent rain and thunderstorms, temperatures between 31 and 33 degrees Celsius, and humidity ranging from 75 to 80 percent. By Sunday, conditions in Karachi are expected to ease slightly, with partly cloudy skies and a chance of rain, though temperatures and humidity will remain largely unchanged.
The Met Office has warned that the heavy rainfall, coupled with windstorms and lightning, could disrupt daily routines and pose significant risks. “Heavy downpour, windstorm and lightning may affect daily routines, urban flooding, water logging in low-lying areas and may damage weak structures of houses, electric poles, billboards, vehicles and solar panels during the forecast period,” the advisory stated. Authorities have been urged to stay vigilant and take preventive measures to mitigate potential damage.
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