- Body of another child recovered Friday.
- Over 120 rescuers involved in operation.
- Search underway in three key locations.
SWAT/PESHAWAR: The death toll from the tragic Swat River incident rose to 11 on Saturday after rescue teams recovered the body of another child, according to Rescue 1122.
Search operations are still ongoing to locate the two individuals who remain missing. Four people were rescued during the initial response yesterday.
The incident occurred when 17 members of a family from Sialkot were caught in a sudden surge in water flow while picnicking by the riverbank in Swat. Despite efforts by rescuers, several individuals were swept away, prompting a large-scale operation.
According to Director General Rescue 1122, the search and rescue operation has now been activated in other areas for over 24 hours and was being carried out simultaneously in Khwazakhela, Kabal Bypass, and Barikot.
Over 120 rescue personnel are participating in the mission.
Teams from Swat, Malakand, and Shangla are jointly taking part in the operation, utilising boats and equipment to scan the riverbanks and deeper water zones.
According to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s spokesperson, Faraz Ahmad Mughal, the inquiry committee formed to probe the incident has approved a decisive crackdown against encroachments along the Swat River.
“The district administration has been instructed to immediately demolish all illegal constructions built along the riverbanks,” the spokesperson said, noting that KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur directed all relevant departments to eliminate the encroachments within three days.
Additionally, he said, it has been decided that all hotels in the area will be registered on a permanent basis to ensure regulatory oversight.
Reacting to the tragic incident, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi censured CM Ali Amin Gandapur’s government and its 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.
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and the country’s leadership have expressed sorrow over the incident.
The national meteorological service warned that the risk of heavy rain and possible flash floods will remain high until at least Tuesday.
