LOWER DIR: A teenage girl and a man, who attempted to save the girl, drowned in the Panjkora River in Lower Dir on Saturday evening, prompting a rescue operation that continued late into the night.

According to Rescue 1122, 15-year-old Manahil, a resident of Anwarabad, accidentally slipped into the river at Shago Kas while visiting relatives in Bandagai village of Talash. Her mother immediately jumped into the water in an attempt to rescue her.

Locals said that Naveed Rahman, 34, a pickup driver from Shengri Bala, Timergara, who happened to be present at the site, managed to pull the girl’s mother to safety.

After rescuing her, he re-entered the river in a desperate bid to save the teenager but was himself swept away by the fast-flowing water and drowned.

Residents said the family had come to Bandagai to visit relatives and later went to the riverbank for recreation when the tragedy occurred.

Rescue 1122 teams launched a search operation after receiving information about the incident. Rescuers used scuba-diving equipment and line-search techniques to locate the missing bodies.

Officials said the search would continue until both victims were found.

THREE INJURED: Three people were injured in a firing incident reportedly triggered by a land dispute in Chakdara on Sunday, police and local sources said.

The injured were identified as Shumal Khan, nephew of former village nazim Israr Khan along with Osama and Sher Bahadar.

Following the incident, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) worker and former village council nazim Israr Khan alleged that he was present at his grocery shop near the Chakdara police station when armed rivals attacked the premises and opened fire.

He claimed that the firing left his nephew and a passer-by injured. He urged the police authorities to ensure security of his family and arrest those involved in the attack without delay.

The police have registered a case.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2026