Flash floods prompted by heavy rain in Swat district have engulfed several areas, resulting in the loss of life with reports of dozens stranded, according to an initial report by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rescue 1122.
According to a statement by the KP Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, eight bodies have been recovered among 18 people who went missing, with three people being rescued.
The incident prompted the provincial government to immediately launch a rescue operation, the statement said, adding, “Rescue operations are currently being conducted at eight different locations in Swat, in which 105 rescue personnel are participating.”
The statement further said, “A total of 75 people were trapped at different places along the Swat River on the bypass road,” adding that 58 of them had been rescued alive.
The provincial government has formed a committee to inquire into the matter, it added.
Earlier today, Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Faizi confirmed that eight bodies were recovered from reports of 16 people gone missing.
According to the initial report by KP Rescue 1122, search and rescue operations were underway for the remaining bodies in several areas.
Three bodies have been recovered from Ingaroderai. One body was also recovered from Ghalegy, where seven people were stranded and rescue operations are still underway
At least 120 Rescue 1122 personnel have been deployed in rescue operations.
“More than 22 people were trapped in the water in Imam Dhirai, who were rescued safely by the team of Rescue Station 33,” the report stated, adding that the search operation of Rescue Station 44 was ongoing.
Seven people are also reported to be trapped in Manyar, with Rescue Stations 44 and 55 working jointly in rescue activities.One person was trapped at Panjigram village, where a rescue operation was underway.
At least 20 to 30 people have been rescued from Bara Bamakhela, the report said.
“All Rescue 1122 teams are present on site and rescue operations are in full swing,” the report said.A flood alert has been issued by the Charsadda Deputy Commissioner Qaiser Khan asking relevant staff to be on high alert following flooding in Swat.
A notice from the DC’s office said the “discharge at Khwazakela in River Swat has increased to 77,782 cusecs, categorised as a very high flood.”
DC Khan told Dawn.com that rescue teams had been deployed to the bank of River Kabul and River Swat.
“Announcements were made via mosque loudspeakers to inform the public about the dangers of floodwater,” the DC said, adding that officials were instructing people to move to safer places.“We are keeping an eye on the Munda headworks; till 3pm, the flow was normal.”
Meanwhile, Former climate change minister and PPP Senator Sherry Rehman has said that the continued “sleepwalk” on climate stress was triggering such incidents.
In a post on X, she wrote, “The tragic drowning of several people in the River Swat is NOT the result of a random ‘natural disaster’.”
“We need to understand that this and other disasters are the deadly impact of super heavy monsoons in Swat, all triggered by climate stress, and it is not just one area,” she added.
Rehman also said that the district and provincial administration had alerted but “early warning systems are being ignored by the general public in KP”.
“Pakistan needs to understand that such hazards are triggered by global warming and climate change … So please stop calling it a natural disaster or a random flash flood that is disconnected from human actions or responsibility.”
The KP Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued a flood alert after water discharge levels at Khwazakhela in Swat River surged to 77,782 cusecs, categorising it as a very high flood situation due to the ongoing heavy rainfall in the region.
In an official communication addressed to the Deputy Commissioners of Peshawar, Charsadda, and Nowshera, the PDMA advised all concerned authorities to take urgent precautionary measures to prevent any loss of life, damage to infrastructure, crops and livestock.
The PDMA directed local administrations to immediately identify vulnerable points and at-risk communities and put in place effective safety and mitigation measures. It emphasised maintaining a heightened state of alert, with constant monitoring of the evolving flood situation to ensure a timely response.
Rescue 1122, Civil Defence, and all other emergency services have been instructed to stay on high alert, particularly in low-lying and high-risk areas.
Communities living along the banks of Kabul River and its tributaries are being sensitised to the expected rise in water levels.
Local authorities have been advised to ensure timely evacuation of at-risk populations in flood-prone areas in accordance with existing evacuation plans, and to ensure the availability of shelter, food, and medical supplies in designated camps.
Farmers and cattle herders have been warned to move their livestock to safer locations away from low-lying riverbanks, while the general public is urged to avoid unnecessary travel or vehicle movement in vulnerable areas.
The PDMA also directed concerned departments to remain ready for road clearance operations in case of blockages or waterlogging, and to pre-position emergency equipment at critical locations.
The Provincial Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) at PDMA remains active 24/7 and can be reached via helpline 1700 for any assistance or guidance.
At least eleven people were killed and 47 others were injured in multiple rain-related incidents as Punjab was battered by heavy monsoon showers on Thursday- Friday, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and Rescue 1122.
Monsoon rains fall across the region from June to September, offering respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenishing water supplies. They are also vital for agriculture, and therefore the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security for South Asia’s nearly two billion people.
Earlier today, the PDMA said that four people died and 19 were injured in rain-related incidents.
According to the data, 13 incidents were reported across Punjab, with the majority of them in the Okara district. Two children are among the four deceased.
The majority of incidents were roof collapses caused by rain.
“Two citizens were killed by the collapse of dilapidated and decaying buildings in Okara and Bahawalnagar,” a PDMA handout read. “Two citizens drowned in Jhelum … 13 dilapidated and mud houses were affected by monsoon rains.”
According to the data, one child was killed in Okara, one in Bahawalnagar and two men in Jhelum.
Punjab rescue spokesperson Farooq Ahmed said that the deceased child in Okara was a five-year-old girl.
“[The girl] drowned in a storm drain in Basti Riazabad in Okara,” Ahmed was quoted as saying in a statement. “Another person drowned in a storm drain in Jhelum, while two people were injured in Sohawa. A search operation is underway.”
The spokesperson added that a person in Okara was injured in a lightning strike.
“The public should avoid electric poles, hoarding boards and low-lying areas,” the spokesperson warned, urging them to call 1122 in case of emergencies.
A statement by the Rescue 1122 also confirmed the deaths of one each in Okara, Bahawalnagar, and two in Jhelum.
It further said that two people died when a wall collapsed in Muzaffargarh, while one person died and another was injured after lightning struck in Khanewal.
Rescue 1122 said that emergency rescue services were provided to a total of 46 people in the last 24 hours, including 39 of those who were injured and taken to the hospital.
The statement said, “In Multan, three people were injured when a wall collapsed in Basti Rata,” adding that three others were injured when a roof collapsed in Latifabad.
Another roof collapse incident in Faisalabad injured one person, while two people were injured in more roof collapse incidents each in Shorkot and Sahiwal, according to Rescue 1122.
In Mandi Bahauddin, two children were injured by electrocution, the statement added.
PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia issued instructions to provide the best available medical assistance to the injured.
“As per the instructions of the Punjab Chief Minister, losses incurred by citizens will be compensated,” Kathia said. “Assistance will also be ensured to the families of the deceased under the government policy.”
DG PDMA also directed citizens to take precautionary measures, stating that this spell of monsoon rains will continue until July 1.
Separately, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) had earlier predicted rainfall and thunderstorms across the country, warning of the risk of flash floods and urban flooding.
In a weather forecast, the Met Office said, “moist currents from [the] Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal are penetrating in most parts of the country. A westerly wave is also affecting the upper parts of the country.”
The weather agency forecast widespread rainfall and thundershowers on Thursday in Azad Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and the federal capital Islamabad.
It added that rain thundershowers with gusty winds may also occur at isolated places in southeast Sindh and northeast/south Balochistan during the period.
“On Friday, widespread rain and thundershowers with isolated heavy rainfall is expected in Azad Kashmir, KP, Islamabad, and upper and central Punjab. Rain thundershowers with gusty winds are likely in south Punjab, Sindh and northeast and south Balochistan,” it added.
In the previous 24 hours, the weather agency reported rain and thundershowers in Upper KP, Upper Punjab, Islamabad, Azad Kashmir and northeast Balochistan. Hot and very humid weather prevailed over other parts of the country, it added.
KP’s Malam Jabba recorded the highest 70mm rainfall, Saidu Sharif 34mm, Parachinar 23mm, Lower Dir 8 mm, Mardan 6mm, Cherat 4mm, and Kakul 3mm.
In Punjab, Kasur recorded 63mm rainfall, Sheikhupura 50mm, Joharabad 48mm, Sargodha 45mm, Islamabad (Bokra 34mm, Airport 29mm, Zero point 22mm, Saidpur 21mm, Golra 20mm), Okara 30mm, Rawalpindi (Pirwidahi 30mm, Shamsabad 18mm), Chakwal 28mm, Lahore (Airport 20mm, City 11mm), Hafizabad 17mm, Attock 12mm, Gujrat 10mm, Faisalabad 8mm, Noorpur Thal 5mm, Narowal 3mm, Mangla and Sialkot 2mm each, Jhang and Toba Tek Singh 1mm each.
In Azad Kashmir, Muzaffarabad recorded 7mm at airport and 5mm in the city, Rawalakot 1mm, while Barkhan in Balochistan received 2mm rainfall.
The maximum temperatures recorded yesterday (Wednesday) were Dalbandin 46°C, while Sibbi, Jacobabad, Bhakkar, Bahawalpur, Dadu, and Nokkundi recorded 45°C.
The Met Office warned that heavy rainfall may generate flash floods in local streams of Murree, Galliyat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Nowshera, Swabi, Islamabad/Rawalpindi, DG Khan, and parts of northeast Punjab and Azad Kashmir.
It further warned that heavy downpour may cause urban flooding in low lying areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Nowshera, Charsadda and Peshawar, and in Karachi and Hyderabad on June 27.
“Landslides may cause road closures in the vulnerable hilly areas of KP, Murree, Galliyat, Azad Kashmir during the wet spell,” it added.
It warned that heavy downpour, windstorm and lightning may affect daily routines, and may damage weak structures of houses, electric poles, billboards, vehicles and solar panels during the forecast period.
In light of the forecast, the Punjab government intensified emergency measures following the prediction to receive 25 per cent more monsoon rains this year in the province
Monsoon rains have commenced in Punjab and the first spell will continue till July 1. Rainfall with strong winds and thunderstorms are predicted in most districts of the province.