Latest news with #SwatValley
Times of Oman
4 hours ago
- Climate
- Times of Oman
Pakistan: Flash floods kill 11 amid heavy rain warning
Flash floods in Pakistan's northwest mountanious province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have killed 11 people, including four children, the country's disaster management officials said. "In the past 24 hours, flash floods and landslides have claimed the lives of 11 people — including four children and three women — while six others have been injured," the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said in a report released late Friday. One person was killed in the Malakand district while the 10 others were killed in the Swat Valley, according to the report. Local media reported that families had been swept away and that the flooding had damaged 56 houses along the Swat river. Pakistan's local daily newspaper Dawn reported that rescue operations were underway in several other districts with people trapped in the water. Meanwhile the national meterological department warned of heavy rainfall and a possibility of more flash floods until Tuesday. Pakistan and climate change Pakistan is among the world's more vulnerable countries to the effect of climate change with an increasing frequency of flash floods and other climate-related events impacting its 240 million inhabitants. In May, some 24 people were killed in severe storms in Pakistan. In August 2022, a third of the country was flooded due to unprecedented monsoon rainfall with more than 33 million people affected. Scientists from across the globe have since said that the climate crisis was to blame and that rising global temperatures will only make monsoons more intense in future. Pakitsan continues to 'sleepwalk' on climate change — former minister Pakistan's former climate change minister Sherry Rehman took to X, saying that the nation continued to "sleepwalk" on climate change and the threat it posed. She pointed to regular alerts issued by the national disaster management agency and said that local authorities had failed to take them seriously. "Not only did the provincial administration fail to understand the magnitude of the crisis, I keep repeating, so did denialist tourists. This is endemic to a system that thinks that climate change can just be put on a back burner, or that crises will not multiply in scale and intensity," she wrote. "These are not "natural disasters" which absolve all actors of responsibility, local, national and global. Super monsoons and flash floods are not the norm. They have been intensifying for decades," she added, urging the country to "wake up" the to the issue.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Pakistan: Flash floods kill 11 amid heavy rain warning
Flash floods in Pakistan's northwest mountanious province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have killed 11 people, including four children, the country's disaster management officials said. "In the past 24 hours, flash floods and landslides have claimed the lives of 11 people — including four children and three women — while six others have been injured," the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said in a report released late Friday. One person was killed in the Malakand district while the 10 others were killed in the Swat Valley, according to the report. Local media reported that families had been swept away and that the flooding had damaged 56 houses along the Swat river. Pakistan's local daily newspaper Dawn reported that rescue operations were underway in several other districts with people trapped in the water. Meanwhile the national meterological department warned of heavy rainfall and a possibility of more flash floods until Tuesday. Pakistan is among the world's more vulnerable countries to the effect of climate change with an increasing frequency of flash floods and other climate-related events impacting its 240 million inhabitants. In May, some 24 people were killed in severe storms in Pakistan. In August 2022, a third of the country was flooded due to unprecedented monsoon rainfall with more than 33 million people affected. Scientists from across the globe have since said that the climate crisis was to blame and that rising global temperatures will only make monsoons more intense in future. Pakistan's former climate change minister Sherry Rehman took to X, saying that the nation continued to "sleepwalk" on climate change and the threat it posed. She pointed to regular alerts issued by the national disaster management agency and said that local authorities had failed to take them seriously. Regular alerts were issued by @ndmapk well in time. Not only did the provincial administration fail to understand the magnitude of the crisis, I keep repeating, so did denialist tourists. This is endemic to a system that thinks that climate change can just be put on a back… — SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) June 27, 2025 "Not only did the provincial administration fail to understand the magnitude of the crisis, I keep repeating, so did denialist tourists. This is endemic to a system that thinks that climate change can just be put on a back burner, or that crises will not multiply in scale and intensity," she wrote. "These are not "natural disasters" which absolve all actors of responsibility, local, national and global. Super monsoons and flash floods are not the norm. They have been intensifying for decades," she added, urging the country to "wake up" the to the issue. Edited by: Kieran Burke
Khaleej Times
8 hours ago
- Climate
- Khaleej Times
Pakistan: 11 killed in flash floods as monsoon season begins, local officials say
Flash flooding in Pakistan's mountainous northwest has killed 11 people, including several children, at the start of the monsoon season, disaster management officials said. "In the past 24 hours, flash floods and landslides have claimed the lives of 11 people, including four children and three women, while six others have been injured," according to a report issued late Friday by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial disaster management agency. The report said 10 of those killed were in the Swat Valley, where, according to local media, a flash flood swept away families on a riverbank. Flooding in the province has also damaged 56 houses, six of which were destroyed, the disaster agency report said. The national meteorological service warned that the risk of heavy rain and possible flash floods will remain high until at least Tuesday. Last month, at least 24 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.
CTV News
a day ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Flash floods in Pakistan kill at least 7 and sweep away dozens of tourists
Local residents look to the Swat River, which is overflowing due to pre-monsoon heavy rains in the area, on the outskirts of Mingora, the main town of Pakistan's Swat Valley, Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Sherin Zada) PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Flash floods triggered by pre-monsoon rains swept away dozens of tourists in northwest Pakistan on Friday, killing at least seven people. The nationwide death toll from rain-related incidents rose to 17 over the past 24 hours, officials said. Nearly 100 rescuers in various groups 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 rescued seven people and recovered seven bodies after hours-long efforts and the search continued for the remaining 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. Riaz Khan, The Associated Press
Reuters
a day ago
- Climate
- Reuters
Nine dead as floodwaters sweep away children, relatives in Pakistan
PESHAWAR, Pakistan, June 27 (Reuters) - At least nine people died when floodwaters swept away children in a river in northern Pakistan and relatives jumped into the water to try to save them on Friday, 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, 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 warning 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.
