ISLAMABAD: Rescuers are still searching for three people who were swept away by flash floods in the Swat river in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, an official said on Saturday, 24 hours after the tragic incident.
Flooding in the river swept away 17 people early Friday, of which three were rescued and bodies of 11 others were recovered, according to KP Rescue 1122 officials. The victims and survivors were tourists who reportedly hailed from Punjab and KP provinces.
The operation to find the three missing persons has been ongoing for the last 24 hours, according to Shah Fahad, director-general of the provincial rescue service.
“Rescue 1122 operation is currently underway in different areas of Swat, including Khwaza Khela, Kabal Bypass and Barikot,” Fahad said in a statement. “More than 120 personnel of Rescue 1122 are engaged in relief activities.”
Flooding in the province has also damaged 56 houses, six of which were destroyed, the KP Provincial Disaster Management Authority said on Friday.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned that the risk of heavy rains and possible flash floods will remain high until at least Tuesday.
The ongoing spell of rains has also killed nearly a dozen people in the eastern Punjab province and delayed the arrival and departure of trains in Sindh province in the south.
Babar Raza, a spokesperson for Pakistan Railways, told Arab News the weather conditions had affected the railway signaling system, while the speed of trains had also been deliberately reduced for the sake of passenger safety.
“As a result, some trains are reaching their destinations with a delay of three to four hours,” he said. “No trains have been canceled so far.”
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.
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.
