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The Guardian
29-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
At least 32 people killed as flash floods hit northern Pakistan
At least 32 people have been killed in Pakistan in recent flash flooding caused by heavy rains, including a family of tourists who died after being swept away by flood waters while apparently awaiting rescue. Videos of the family stranded on a small piece of land as the raging Swat River in northern Pakistan swept them away were shared widely on social media, prompting anger towards the provincial government as witnesses said the family waited helplessly for more than an hour. Flash floods and heavy rains have killed 32 people, including 16 children, in Pakistan in the past 36 hours; 13 were from Punjab province and 19 from the north-west Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the tourist family died. Sheikh Waqas Akram, the central information secretary of the former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which is in power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said they had suspended four senior officials from the Swat administration and emergency rescue department. Akram said the chief minister, Ali Amin Gandapur, had ordered an inquiry and asked that the report be submitted in a week, in documents seen by the Guardian. 'The province [held] a meeting on flash floods on 21 June,' Akram told the Guardian. 'Soon after the meeting we issued warnings and announced it through speakers in mosques as well. It was done to spread awareness and ask tourists to be away from the riverbank and never step on the riverbed. At least 71 people were booked in cases in violation of the warnings.' He added: 'It was a tragic and unfortunate incident and the tourists were in the riverbed.' When the flash flood occurred, the family from Punjab province were having a picnic breakfast by the river in the Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The family had gone into the river to rescue the children, who had been taking photos, government officials said. According to Akram, at least 17 people were swept away in the flash floods in the Swat River – bodies of nine family members had been recovered and one was missing. Four other people were rescued while three were still missing. He said the rescue efforts were continuing. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) later issued an alert saying there were high flood levels and warning people to take precautions. Pakistan, with a population of more than 240 million, is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of the climate crisis. Climate induced flash floods in 2022, killed at least 1,700 people and affected more than 33 million people. The incident prompted discussion in Pakistan on the climate crisis, provincial governments' role in preventing such incidents, tourists avoiding warnings and allegations of incompetence and corruption in local government. The former climate change minister Sherry Rehman said the tourists in Pakistan no longer respond to colonial-era instructions such as section 144 – which allows district administrations to place bans on activities – and they seem not to heed extreme weather warnings. Rehman criticised poor government signalling on the climate crisis and a lack of coordinated efforts, saying: 'Public resources also fell egregiously short in this tragedy. The PDMA should have mobilised a helicopter to get to the marooned family in time. It's outrageous negligence on their part not to have.' Many social media users criticised the government for failing to rescue the stranded family as witness accounts said they were stuck for more than an hour without any help. The PDMAs were created after the deadly 2005 earthquake in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and are responsible for responding in a timely way to natural calamities, floods and disasters. The disaster authorities in different Pakistani provinces have been accused of corruption.
Arab News
29-06-2025
- Climate
- Arab News
At least 31 killed, 43 injured in rain-related incidents across Pakistan since June 27
ISLAMABAD: At least 31 people have been killed and 43 injured in total since June 27 in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab and Sindh provinces, a report by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said this week. Heavy rains have lashed Sindh, Punjab and KP provinces this week, raising water levels in rivers to alarming levels and triggering urban floods in some cities. As per the NDMA's report on Saturday, six people were killed in Punjab, 18 in KP and seven in Sindh from June 27 to 28. Punjab reported the largest number of injuries in the same period, 21, followed by Sindh with 16 and KP with six. The NDMA has issued a series of impact-based weather alerts across the country, forecasting ongoing and intensified rain-wind/thunderstorms over the next 24 to 48 hours. 'Persistent heavy downpours are expected to overwhelm drainage systems in urban centers, leading to significant urban flooding, especially in low-lying areas,' the state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) said in a report, quoting the NDMA. 'Rapid and intense rainfall can trigger flash floods in local and seasonal streams, particularly in mountainous and hilly regions.' SWAT RIVER DEATH TOLL SURGES TO 12 Separately, the death toll from drowning in the wake of flash flooding in Pakistan's northwestern Swat River has climbed to 12, a leading emergency rescue service said on Sunday. Flash flooding due to heavy rain caused the Swat River water to rise to dangerous levels at several locations across the mountainous valley on Friday, according to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Rescue 1122 emergency service. Rescue 1122 KP spokesperson Bilal Faizi said on Friday a total of 16 people had been trapped in the floods, adding that three had been rescued. 'The body of Danial, who was from Mardan and lost his life in the Swat incident, has been recovered from the Charsadda,' Rescue 1122 said in a statement. 'With this recovery, the total number of confirmed deaths has risen to 12.' Rescue 1122 said its teams were searching for a missing child from Sialkot who was also among those trapped in the floods. State broadcaster Radio Pakistan said the deceased and missing persons belong to Pakistan's Sialkot, Daska and Mardan cities. Pakistan, home to over 240 million people, is considered one of the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change and faces extreme weather events with increasing frequency. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed the NDMA to enhance coordination with provinces and issue timely weather alerts to citizens via cellphone messages.
The Guardian
28-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
At least 32 people killed after heavy rain causes flash flooding in northern Pakistan
At least 32 people have been killed in Pakistan in recent flash flooding caused by heavy rains, including a family of tourists who died after being swept away by flood waters while apparently awaiting rescue. Videos of the family stranded on a small piece of land as the raging Swat river in northern Pakistan swept them away were shared widely on social media, prompting anger towards the provincial government as eyewitnesses said the family waited helplessly for more than an hour. Flash floods and heavy rains have killed 32 people, including 16 children, in Pakistan in the past 36 hours; 13 were from Punjab province and 19 from the north-west Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the tourist family died. Sheikh Waqas Akram, the central information secretary of the former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which is in power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said they had suspended four senior officials from the Swat administration and emergency rescue department. Akram said the chief minister, Ali Amin Gandapur, ordered an inquiry and asked that the report be submitted in a week, in documents seen by the Guardian. 'The province conveyed a meeting on flash floods on 21 June,' Akram told the Guardian. 'Soon after the meeting we issued warnings and announced it through speakers in mosques as well. It was done to spread awareness and ask tourists to be away from the riverbank and never step on the riverbed. At least 71 people were booked in cases in violation of the warnings.' He added: 'It was a tragic and unfortunate incident and the tourists were in the riverbed.' When the flash flood occurred, the family from Punjab province were having a picnic breakfast by the Swat river in the Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The family had gone into the river to rescue the children, who had been taking photos, government officials said. According to Akram, at least 17 people were swept away in the flash floods in Swat river – nine bodies of the family have been recovered and one is missing. Four other people were rescued while three are still missing. He said the rescue efforts are continuing. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) later issued an alert saying there were high flood levels and warning people to take precautions. Pakistan, with a population of more than 240 million, is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of the climate crisis. Climate induced flash floods in 2022, killed at least 1,700 people and affected more than 33 million people. The incident prompted discussion in Pakistan on the climate crisis, provincial governments' role in preventing such incidents, tourists avoiding warnings and allegations of incompetence and corruption in local government. The former climate change minister Sherry Rehman said the tourists in Pakistan no longer respond to colonial-era instructions such as section 144 – which allows district administrations to place bans on activities – and they seem not to heed extreme weather warnings. Rehman criticised poor government signalling on the climate crisis and a lack of coordinated efforts, saying: 'Public resources also fell egregiously short in this tragedy. The PDMA should have mobilised a helicopter to get to the marooned family in time. It's outrageous negligence on their part not to have.' Many social media users criticised the government for failing to rescue the stranded family as eyewitness accounts said the family was stranded for more than one hour without any help. The PDMAs were created after the deadly 2005 earthquake in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and are responsible for responding in a timely way to natural calamities, floods and disasters. The disaster authorities in different Pakistani provinces have been accused of corruption.
Arab News
28-06-2025
- Climate
- Arab News
Rescuers search for three missing persons 24 hours after flash floods in Pakistan's Swat
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, 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.
Arab News
28-06-2025
- Climate
- Arab News
Rescuers search for three missing 24 hours after flash floods in Pakistan's Swat
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, 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.
