Nine dead as flood waters sweep away children, relatives in Pakistan
Nine dead as flood waters sweep away children, relatives in Pakistan
PESHAWAR - At least nine people died when flood waters swept away children in a river in northern Pakistan and relatives jumped into the water to try to save them on June 27, officials said.
The family was having a picnic breakfast by the Swat River and the children were in the water taking photos when the sudden flood hit, district administrator Shehzad Mahboob said.
Relatives rushed in but were also caught up in the deluge which had been swollen by monsoon rains, he added.
It was still too early to say how many children and how many adults had died, Mr Mahboob told Reuters. Nine bodies have been recovered so far, he said.
Four members of the family were rescued alive and another four are still missing.
The family group were tourists from Pakistan visiting the Swat Valley, local mayor Shahid Ali Khan said.
Locals and more than 80 rescue workers were searching for survivors, rescue official Shah Fahad said.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority later issued an alert saying there were high flood levels and warned people to take precautions.
Tens of thousands of tourists, mostly from other parts of Pakistan, visit the north's peaks and glaciers every year during the summer travel season.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif "expressed his grief over the tourists' deaths," his office said in a statement. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AsiaOne
a day ago
- AsiaOne
Heavy rain hits China's flood-stricken Guizhou for second time in a week, China News
SHANGHAI - Heavy rain struck China's southwestern Guizhou province again on Saturday (June 28), half-submerging the already flood-stricken riverside city of Rongjiang for a second time this week and prompting the evacuation of residents to higher ground. Located at the confluence of three rivers and home to 300,000 residents, Rongjiang was inundated earlier this week by record downpours that left six dead and forced more than 80,000 people to flee their homes. The amount of rain that fell over 72 hours was double the city's average for June. In response to the new round of flooding, authorities raised the city's flood emergency response level to the highest level on Saturday. The benchmark hydrological station on one of the rivers estimated that the peak water level would hit 253.50 metres at around 5pm, exceeding the safety threshold by two metres, state broadcaster CCTV said. More than 40,000 residents in Rongjiang had been urgently evacuated as of 6pm on Saturday, according to the state broadcaster. Earlier this week, the peak water level reached 256.7 metres, the highest since 1954, the Guizhou provincial government said in a statement to Reuters on Friday, blaming "the extreme climate" for the flooding. The floods in southwest China are set to hit local economies. Rongjiang was removed from the national poverty list in 2020. It then saw an unexpected tourism boom after a local football league nicknamed "Village Super League" became a social media sensation, attracting thousands of fans and tourists. On Tuesday, the football pitch was up to seven metres under water. China has battled with summer floods for millennia, but some scientists say climate change is resulting in heavier and more frequent rain. Massive flooding could set off unforeseen "black swan" events with dire consequences, such as dam collapses, Chinese officials say. In southern China over the past two days, 13 major rivers in Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi and Hainan were hit by storms and had risen above their warning levels, CCTV reported, citing the Ministry of Water Resources on Saturday. [[nid:719515]]
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Paolini prepared to sweat it out with Wimbledon braced for hot start
Tennis - Bad Homburg Open - Bad Homburg Tennis Club, Bad Homburg, Germany - June 27, 2025 Italy's Jasmine Paolini in action during her semi final match against Poland's Iga Swiatek REUTERS/Heiko Becker Paolini prepared to sweat it out with Wimbledon braced for hot start Italian fourth seed Jasmine Paolini said on Saturday she is unfazed by forecasts of soaring temperatures at Wimbledon where last year's runner-up again carries the hopes of a nation yet to celebrate a singles champion at the All England Club. Paolini said she prefers sunny conditions and will aim to stay well hydrated in temperatures forecast to push 33 degrees Celsius. "We'll see. I like hot ... It's better when it is sunny for everybody," Paolini told reporters. "Drink a lot, I guess. That's the main thing because if the match goes long, it's tough ... In Hamburg was hot, Berlin was also hot," she said, referring to the tune-up tournaments ahead of Wimbledon. Last year during rain Paolini played under cover at Wimbledon, which has retractable roofs on Centre Court and Court number one in case of weather disruptions. "Last year I have to say I really like when the roof was closed. Still you have to play on this court to have the roof," she said. The 29-year-old Paolini, the first Italian woman in the Open Era to reach the Wimbledon final, returns to the Grand Slam with modest expectations, though she remains Italy's best hope for a Wimbledon women's singles breakthrough. Italy has also come close to a men's singles title at Wimbledon with Matteo Berrettini reaching the final in 2021. "I'm trying always to keep the expectation low. Especially on grass, everything can really happen," she said. "I don't know, just trying to focus on the first match, trying to play a good match with a good level." Paolini's 2024 season was nothing short of extraordinary, highlighted by her WTA 1000 title in Dubai and back-to-back Grand Slam finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. In May this year, Paolini became the first Italian in 40 years to win the women's singles title in Rome. In the grasscourt swing she lost to twice Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur in her opening match in Berlin and enjoyed a semi-final run in Bad Homburg before falling to Iga Swiatek. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Pakistan flash floods and heavy rain kill 32
In May, at least 32 people were killed in severe storms in the South Asian nation. PHOTO: AFP PESHAWAR, Pakistan - Heavy rain and flash flooding across Pakistan have killed 32 people including 16 children since the start of the monsoon season this week, disaster management officials said. Flash floods and roof collapses over the past 36 hours have claimed the lives of 19 people, eight of them children, a statement on June 28 by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial disaster management authority said. Of the total fatalities, 13 were reported from northwestern Swat Valley. At least 13 people have also been killed in the eastern province of Punjab since June 18, the area's disaster management authority said. Eight of the fatalities were children, who died when walls and roofs collapsed during heavy rain. Flooding in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has also damaged 56 houses, six of which were destroyed, the disaster authority said. The national meteorological service warned that the risk of heavy rain and possible flash floods will remain high until at least July 1. In May, at least 32 people were killed in severe storms in the South Asian nation, which experienced several extreme weather events in the spring, including strong hailstorms. Pakistan is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, and its 240 million inhabitants are facing extreme weather events with increasing frequency. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
