Pakistan flood sweeps away children and relatives trying to save them
At least nine people died when floodwaters swept away children in a river in northern Pakistan and relatives who had jumped into the water to try to save them, officials have 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
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BBC News
10 hours ago
- BBC News
Why do people get cut off by the tide at Wells-next-the-Sea?
A lifeboat service said it has rescued more people cut off by the tide in the past six months than it has in the past seven years. Last week it was called out after 40 people were cut off at two locations on the Norfolk coastline in the space of two hours. Why is the tide so dangerous and what can you do if you get stranded? With heatwaves arriving, the RNLI crew at Wells-next-the-Sea, in Norfolk, has seen hoards of people visit the beach early in the summer season. Despite signs and sirens at the beach, Mandy Humphreys, the water safety officer at Wells RNLI, said a lot of people have a lack of knowledge about the tides. Impact of a changing seabed Ms Humphreys said the contours of the seabed were "always changing" which leads to people being cut off by the tide, even if they have visited that beach before."This is a natural phenomenon. The seabed in this area is very sandy."Unfortunately, over the last couple of years a sandbar has been forming and gradually growing, which runs parallel to Wells beach. The drain that separates it from the rest of the beach is getting deeper." A sandbar is a submerged area of sand or sediment which is formed by waves and currents offshore from a one formed at Wells is said to have one steep side and the other having a shallow Humphreys said she has been involved in rescues where people did not realise they had been cut off. "The beach is very alluring. It's absolutely beautiful... there are a significant number of people that we rescue that don't understand the basics about tides." Tides and times vary Tide times and heights vary throughout the year and can be affected by a number of factors, including the spring equinox, which Ms Humphreys said brings bigger tides than people added that rising sea levels also have an impact and the RNLI can be called out all year round by people cut off by the tide.A tidal surge in March made a "big tide even bigger" and left three people stranded on an area of marshland north of Stiffkey were found "waist deep in water" in an area where the RNLI has not had to rescue people before. Even locals are vulnerable It is not just beachgoers who have found themselves in troubled waters. As the seabed and sand is ever changing, people living locally and those who have visited the beach on multiple occasions can never be sure of the conditions. As one of the hotspots where people become stranded, the RNLI was first alerted to the sandbar at the beach after a group of local residents became unknowingly her time with the RNLI Ms Humphreys has taken part in a simulation of what it is like to be stranded on a sandbar, and despite wearing a life jacket and having a crew near by she said she was left feeling "incredibly vulnerable".She added: "I've helped rescue people from that sandbar and being stood on that sandbar myself... I still felt quite vulnerable and the urge to wade back to safety is a very strong one, I really understand that now." 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So we encourage people that if they are cut off, the earlier they can tell us, the longer we have to get there before they are up to their waists in water." What to do in an emergency If you are stranded at the beach, the RNLI urges people to call 999 for help and use what3words to help the service locate is advised people get back to dry sand at least four hours before high tide. Ms Humphreys said: "If they sit tight and wait for the lifeboat to get there, that's the safest thing to do."For Wells station in particular, we know from the description where they are." Even though people may want to wade through the water, the steep side of the sandbar means people can find themselves in deep water "quicker than expected". "It's not the people who call 999 that worry me so much, it's the people who wade back to safety themselves. We get reports of parents holding children above their heads and I worry that if someone loses their footing, you then have a youngster and an adult in the water." The RNLI's Float to Live campaign advises people that if they find themselves in difficulty they should tilt their head back in the water, try to breath normally, and move their arms and legs to help stay afloat. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Pakistan flood sweeps away children and relatives trying to save them
At least nine people died when floodwaters swept away children in a river in northern Pakistan and relatives who had jumped into the water to try to save them, officials have 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
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Flash floods in Pakistan kill 8 and 58 are rescued after deluge swept away dozens
Flash floods triggered by pre-monsoon rains swept away dozens of tourists in northwest Pakistan on Friday, killing at least eight people. The nationwide death toll from rain-related incidents rose to 18 over the past 24 hours, officials said. Nearly 100 rescuers in various groups rescued a total of 58 people and were searching for the missing tourists who were swept away while picnicking along the Swat River in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said Shah Fahad, a spokesman for the provincial emergency service. He said 16 members from the same family were among the dead or missing. Fahad said divers had so far recovered eight bodies after hours-long efforts and the search continued for the remaining 10 victims. Videos circulating on social media showed about a dozen people stranded on a slightly elevated spot in the middle of the Swat River, crying for help amid rapidly rising floodwaters. Fahad urged the public to adhere strictly to earlier government warnings about possible flash flooding in the Swat River, which runs through the scenic Swat Valley — a popular summer destination for tens of thousands of tourists who visit the region in summer and winter alike. Elsewhere, at least 10 people were killed in rain-related incidents in eastern Punjab and southern Sindh provinces over the past 24 hours, according to rescue officials. Weather forecasters say rains will continue this week. Pakistan's annual monsoon season runs from July through September. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his deep sorrow and grief over the deaths of the tourists swept away by the floods in the Swat River. In a statement, he directed authorities to strengthen safety measures near rivers and streams. Heavy rains have battered parts of Pakistan since earlier this week, blocking highways and damaging homes. Still, weather forecasters say the country will receive less rain compared with 2022 when the climate-induced downpour swelled rivers and inundated one-third of Pakistan at one point , killing 1,739.
