PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur on Friday directed the CM Inspection Team to probe deaths in Swat’s flash floods.

He also expressed sorrow over the tragedy and announced compensation for the deceased.

In a related development, the government suspended three officials from Swat’s district administration and one from the relief rehabilitation and settlement department, after over a dozen people went missing after being swept away in flash floods triggered by heavy rains in the Swat River.

Fourteen of them are dead, while 10 people are still missing, according to an official report.

Fourteen dead, 10 missing, says official report

Among the officials suspended under the KP Government Servant (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2011, are Swat’s additional deputy commissioner (relief and rehabilitation) Ihsanulul Haq, Babauzai’s assistant commissioner Dr Nida Iqbal and Khwazakhela’s assistant commissioner Amir Khan, while Rescue 1122 district emergency officer Saad Khan was ordered to report to the rescue, relief and rehab department.

Meanwhile, a preliminary official report on the damage and rescue operations revealed that 18 people from Daska tehsil in Punjab’s Sialkot district and KP’s Mardan district were caught in a flash flood near a hotel on the Swat Bypass at around 8:30am on Friday.

It added that Rescue 1122, district administration and volunteers launched a joint rescue operation shortly after learning about the incident, rescuing three people and recovering six bodies.

The report said nine people remained missing for whom a search is under way up to the boundaries of Malakand district.

It noted that over 10 individuals were confirmed drowned near the Swat Bypass hotel, while three more bodies were recovered from Angro Dheri and Imam Dheri.

According to the report, 22 people trapped in floodwaters were successfully rescued. Seven people were stranded in Ghalegay, with one body being recovered and search for the rest in progress.

Similarly, seven individuals were trapped in Maniyar where a rescue operation was under way. A man got stuck in floodwaters in Panjigram area, while a rescue operation for him is under way, according to the report.

Meanwhile, 20-30 people trapped in a flash flood in Bara Bamakhel area of Matta were successfully rescued.

The report said overall, 75 individuals were stranded at various points along the Swat River near the Bypass Road and the timely rescue efforts saved the lives of 58 people, eight bodies were recovered.

“10 individuals are still missing,” it said.

The report said rescue operations involving 105 personnel were ongoing at eight locations across Swat, while high intensity floodwaters were posing significant challenges to the rescue teams.

It added that to prevent further tragedies, all hotels, restaurants and commercial activities near the Swat River had been closed.

The provincial government said due to monsoon rains, a ban had been imposed on recreational activities in rivers throughout the province, while the local administration had launched extensive social media campaigns urging residents and tourists to stay away from water channels and adopt precautionary measures against flooding.

“The provincial government has once again appealed to the public and tourists to avoid entering river areas and to strictly follow the safety guidelines issued by the administration to prevent further tragedies,” the report read.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2025