Pakistan Flood: Several Killed As Family Swept Away In Flash Floods in Swat- Watch Video

A devastating tragedy unfolded in Swat on Friday as at least nine people lost their lives after a sudden surge of high water swept away a group of 17 individuals along the Swat River. A video of a family stranded in the middle of the river has gone viral.

Swat Deputy Commissioner Shehzad Mehboob confirmed the fatalities, stating that rescue teams have retrieved nine bodies and successfully rescued four survivors. "Efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining four missing persons," he added.

According to DC Mehboob, the victims included ten individuals from Sialkot, six from Mardan, and one local resident from Swat.

Grief Grips Sialkot

Grief gripped Sialkot on Saturday morning as the bodies of seven victims arrived in the city along with eleven survivors of the ill-fated trip. The scenes were heart-wrenching when the deceased were brought to Daska, where families mourned their lost loved ones.

Among the deceased, three bodies were taken to Daska Kalan, another three to Lalarian locality, and two to Mohallah Mohammadpura.

Rescue officials revealed that the group from Sialkot had been enjoying a leisure outing by the river and were having breakfast at around 8 a.m. when sudden rains upstream triggered a dangerous rise in water levels.

"We received information about the drowning of these people around 8am. There were guests on the bypass who were sitting on the bank of the river. These people were not aware of the water relay," a rescue official said.

Search On To Recover Bodies

While four were rescued alive and five bodies recovered, authorities are still searching for the remaining missing individuals amid tough terrain and conditions.

DC Mehboob, in a conversation with Geo News, reminded that Section 144 - a regulation that prohibits river bathing and approaching riverbanks - is already in effect. He voiced concern that many tourists continue to disregard these rules.

"We were having breakfast and drinking tea, and the children went to take a selfie near the river. At that time, there was not much water in the river," one distressed tourist told Geo News. He further shared that ten members of his immediate family were swept away. "The body of one woman was found and the search for nine children is still underway," he said.

He also alleged that rescue officials were late in reaching the location. "Rescue officials arrived to the scene hours after the incident was reported and failed to rescue the children who were still struggling in the river when rescuers reached the location," he recounted.

With multiple flood-related emergencies reported in Swat, the Pakistan Army has been called in to support ongoing rescue and relief efforts.