PESHAWAR: The number of fatalities in the Swat River tragedy rose to 10 on Saturday, after the body of another tourist was recovered during the ongoing search operation for those still missing.
At least 17 tourists from Sialkot were swept away by a sudden surge of water while picnicking by the Swat River.
The group, on a leisure trip, had been having breakfast along the riverbank in the Mingora area at around 8am on Friday when heavy rainfall upstream triggered a rapid and unexpected rise in the river’s water level.
Initially, the bodies of nine victims were recovered and four people were rescued, while the search continued for four others who remained missing in the river.
This morning, another body was recovered, bringing the death toll to 10. Seven bodies, along with the survivors, have since been shifted to Daska.
Today, three of the deceased were taken to Daska Kalan, three to the Lalarian locality, and two others to Mohallah Mohammadpura. Funeral prayers for eight of the victims have also been offered.
Taking notice of the incident, KP government formed an inquiry committee, tasked with determining the reasons behind the tragic flash flood incident and identifying any responsible individuals or institutional lapses.
Reacting to the tragic incident, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has censured the CM Ali Amin Gandapur-led provincial government and failure to ensure timely response and preventive measures.
“This is not just incompetence. It is a shameful failure of duty,” Governor Kundi wrote in a post on X.
Furthermore, in a separate video message on X, the governor urged CM Gandapur to “show moral courage and resign without delay” as he was both the provincial chief executive and also held the tourism portfolio.
Kundi’s criticism echoes the public outrage over multiple videos of the affected tourists, including women and children, stranded on a small island in a precarious situation, waiting for help as raging river flowed around them.
Videos circulating on social media showed a group stranded on a shrinking patch of land in the middle of a raging river, with no rescue boats or authorities in sight for hours. Bystanders filmed the moments as the group gradually disappeared into the current.
Citizens, including prominent voices from the media and politics, took to social media to criticise the delay in launching a rescue operation.
With Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordering an immediate search operation for the missing persons, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the local administration have been directed to issue precautionary measures near rivers and streams amid extreme weather conditions across the country.
