• By Ajeet Kumar
  • Fri, 27 Jun 2025 04:14 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

At least eighteen members of a family drowned in flash floods in river Swat in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday, rescue officials said. The bodies of four persons have been recovered, they added.

“The rescue operation is being conducted at five different locations and 80 personnel of Rescue 1122 are participating in the search operation,” Rescue 1122 Director General Shah Fahad was quoted as saying in a press release.

Family was a part of tourist group

According to initial information, the family was part of a tourist group visiting the region and was trapped in the rising waters caused by heavy rains upstream. The Swat is a perennial river in the northern region of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan.

A large-scale search operation is currently underway to trace the remaining missing individuals, authorities added.

Flood alert in KP

Pakistan is preparing for another intense monsoon season, stepping up efforts to manage potential disasters. The KP Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued a flood alert after water discharge levels at Khwazakhela in Swat River surged to 77,782 cusecs, categorising it as a very high flood situation due to the ongoing heavy rainfall in the region, Dawn reported.

ALSO READ: 'Politically Motivated, Attempts To Deflect Attention': At UN, India Exposes Atrocities Committed Against Children In Pakistan

In an official communication addressed to the Deputy Commissioners of Peshawar, Charsadda, and Nowshera, the PDMA advised all concerned authorities to take urgent precautionary measures to prevent any loss of life, damage to infrastructure, crops and livestock.

The PDMA directed local administrations to immediately identify vulnerable points and at-risk communities and put in place effective safety and mitigation measures. It emphasised maintaining a heightened state of alert, with constant monitoring of the evolving flood situation to ensure a timely response.

ALSO READ: India's Big Message To China And Pakistan: Rajnath Singh Refuses To Sign SCO Joint Statement | Know Why

In 2022, devastating floods triggered by unprecedented monsoon rains and glacial melt claimed the lives of over 1,700 people and affected 33 million across the country. Torrential waters destroyed homes, vehicles, crops, and livestock, causing an estimated $30 billion in damages.

(With inputs from agency)