At least five people have lost their lives after 18 members of the same family were swept away by flash floods in the Swat River on Friday. The tragic incident occurred while the family was having breakfast at a riverside hotel near the Mingora bypass.
According to reports, the river suddenly swelled due to heavy rainfall, catching the family by surprise and pulling them into the fast-moving waters.
Police officials confirmed that a rescue operation has been launched. So far, five bodies have been recovered from the river, while efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining victims.
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In response to the incident, the city administration has issued a high alert and urged residents living near the Swat River to evacuate and relocate to safer areas as a precautionary measure.
Just a day earlier, the National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC) of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had issued an impact-based alert. The warning highlighted the risks of widespread monsoon rainfall and associated flooding from June 26 to June 28 across several regions of Pakistan.
In particular, the NEOC had identified Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s districts — including Chitral, Swat, Shangla, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Mansehra, and Battagram — as areas likely to experience moderate to heavy rainfall, with potential flash floods and landslides, especially in mountainous and vulnerable terrain.
