TRAGEDY has struck our scenic north once more. In Swat, at least 13 people drowned after being caught in a sudden swell while having breakfast on the banks of the Swat River, with two unaccounted for. Chilling scenes were caught on film as a helpless group stood atop a small mound midstream as the water rose swiftly around them. Eyewitness accounts tell a heartbreaking tale of negligence: response teams reportedly arrived too late, forcing locals to attempt rescues. One man apparently saved three people. The episode has once again laid bare the state’s complete unpreparedness and inability to think out of the box in the face of such disasters. While rescue helicopters may have been deemed too much for the government to marshal, drones carrying life-saving gear should have been considered. It calls to mind the Kohistan episode three years ago, where four young men similarly stranded in the flooded Dubair stream waited for hours to be rescued, only to drown before help arrived. Following public outrage, the KP government has now suspended some officials and ordered a probe. While accountability is welcome, it cannot substitute for planning ahead. Authorities had issued flood alerts, yet no preventive measures such as Section 144 restrictions were enforced, and tourists were allowed to gather dangerously close to the river.

A preliminary report confirms that overall, more than 75 people were stranded along the Swat River, of whom 58 were rescued. The remainder are either dead or still missing. The provincial government has finally banned recreational activities near water bodies, suspended riverside commercial activity, and issued widespread warnings on social media. But these measures should have come before the tragedy — not after. Going forward, seasonal risk maps must guide tourism policies. Illegal quarrying — which exacerbates flooding — must be stopped. Moreover, there must be strict controls on hotel construction near water bodies. Developers and authorities must learn that profits cannot come at the expense of lives. And most importantly, rescue teams must be better trained, better equipped and deployed in advance to high-risk zones. The north remains one of Pakistan’s most visited regions. But until safety becomes a non-negotiable part of tourism policy, such tragedies will keep recurring — and the blame will rest with those who failed to act.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2025