At least five drown, several missing after flash flooding in Pakistan's Swat river
ISLAMABAD: At least five people drowned and several others were missing in the wake of flash flooding in the Swat river in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the KP Rescue 1122 service said on Friday.
The perennial 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.
The flash floods resulted from heavy rain, rapidly raising river water to dangerous levels at six different locations across the Swat valley, according to the rescue service.
'Ten people were swept away near Relax Hotel Bypass and the body of one was recovered,' it said in a statement. 'Three bodies were retrieved from at Angaro Dheri area.'
'Seven people were stranded at Ghalay, while body of a person was recovered.'
More than a dozen others, including tourists, were stranded in multiple areas of Swat.
On Thursday, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) warned of heavy rains and flash floods in several parts of the country from June 26 till June 28.
It advised residents in flood-prone areas, particularly near nullahs, low-lying zones and slopes, to remain alert and avoid unnecessary movement, calling on emergency services to ensure readiness for any potential incidents.
'Eighty personnel of Rescue 1122 are taking part in the search operation,' the KP rescue service said.
The developments come as Pakistan braces for another extreme monsoon season and ramps up preparedness efforts.
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.
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