As many as 13 members of one family have died in Pakistan after they were swept away by floodwaters while they waited for rescue.
The death toll from torrential monsoon rains has reached 45 across the country, but the incident with the family in Swat Valley has sparked outrage after videos shared online showed them waving desperately, standing on a boulder in the middle of a raging river as rising waters surged around them.
The family were having a picnic breakfast by the Swat River and the children were in the water taking photos when a flash flood occurred, district administrator Shehzad Mahboob said.
“The river was dry then, but within minutes the water surged. By 9.45am, the river had risen dramatically,” Shah Fahad, director general of Rescue 1122, told Dawn.
A relative of the family, who did not give his name, told Reuters TV: “They went to take some selfies. There was not much water at that time. Suddenly floodwaters came and swept away the children. The water current was so strong that it looked like a dyke had been breached.”
Residents said the victims waited more than two hours for official rescue services to arrive.
“They had been screaming and crying for two hours for help,” said a local and eyewitness Shiraz Khan.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Department confirmed on Friday that “four government officials, including the assistant commissioner of Bahrain, have been suspended” over the failure to respond to the family’s pleas, calling the incident a “tragic and disheartening lapse.”
“At least 32 people have died in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province since the rains began, including 14 in Swat district alone,” provincial spokesperson Mohammad Aslam told Geo News.
Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif “expressed his grief over the tourists’ deaths,” his office said in a statement.
In Punjab, 13 deaths were reported, mostly from house collapses caused by the relentless downpours, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. Lightning strikes in Sindh and flash floods in Balochistan also claimed lives.
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Pakistan’s Meteorological Department has forecast more intense monsoon rains to come, warning of further flash flooding in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Sindh.
“Urban flooding in low-lying areas is expected, and residents should remain on high alert,” the agency said in a statement.
The Swat tragedy comes amid a grim monsoon season: in April, violent storms killed at least 380 people nationwide. Last year catastrophic floods submerged a third of the country, displacing millions and destroying critical infrastructure.
Former climate minister Sherry Rehman said on X: “Outrageous negligence in Swat. PDMA and district authorities must answer why rescue did not arrive. These were avoidable deaths.”
In another post, Ms Rahman said: “The tragic drowning of several people in the River Swat is NOT the result of a random “natural disaster”.
“70 people were trapped in 7 different locations. 6 dead bodies have been recovered. 52 people have been rescued. So far. We need to UNDERSTAND that this and other disasters are the deadly impact of super heavy monsoons in Swat, all triggered by climate stress; and it is not just one area.”
Rescue teams were deployed across affected districts, with army helicopters and boats assisting evacuations. Temporary relief camps are being established for displaced families, officials added.
“We heard warnings on TV, but no one came to help. The river rose so fast we could barely escape with our lives,” a survivor in Charsadda, identified as Abdul Waheed, told Dawn:
Pakistan ranks among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, with scientists linking the intensifying monsoon patterns to global warming. In 2022, a third of the country was inundated in flood waters killing over 1,700 people.
