At least 18 members of a family, part of a tourist group, drowned on Friday after flash floods swept through the Swat River in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to rescue officials quoted by news agency PTI. A video circulating online appears to show the family struggling against the powerful river currents, attempting to protect one another as some are swept away.
In the wake of the flash flood tragedy in Swat, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government launched a large-scale rescue operation, deploying 120 personnel across eight locations in the region. According to officials, six bodies were found near the GE Qurban Hotel on the Swat Bypass, three at Angro Dheri, and three more near the Relax Hotel along the same route.
However, Hindustan Times has not independently verified the authenticity of the footage.According to PTI, 12 bodies have been recovered so far near the GE Qurban Hotel on the Swat Bypass, where the flash floods caused significant devastation. The victims, all part of a tourist group, were swept away after getting caught in the fast-rising waters triggered by heavy rainfall upstream.
The Swat River, a major waterway in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, overflowed due to the downpour, Bilal Faizi, spokesperson for Rescue 1122, said that around 80 people were trapped at different points along the river, of whom 63 have been safely rescued. Authorities have since ordered the closure of all hotels, restaurants, and commercial activities near the river as a precaution.submerging several areas and leaving many stranded.