PESHAWAR: The body of a child who was swept away in the Swat River on Friday has been recovered from Charsadda, rescue officials said on Sunday, making this the 12th body recovered from the incident.
At least 19 people have been killed and six others injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa amid heavy rains and the consequent flash floods and landslides, according to data from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).
KP Rescue 1122 Spokesperson Bilal Faizi said the child’s body was recovered from Charsadda and shifted to a hospital.
“He will be shifted to his native area in an ambulance,” Faizi said.
“One person remains missing and a search operation is underway.”
According to Faizi, a total of 17 people were reported missing on Friday when torrential flash floods triggered by heavy rains affected several areas in Swat and Malakand divisions.
Four people were rescued, while 11 bodies had been recovered. Today, a 12th body was recovered, leaving one person who remains missing.
Separately, the body of a young man who drowned in a flooded river in Lower Dir two days ago has been recovered in Charsadda, according to Faizi.
“The rescue team had been conducting continuous search operations for the past two days, after which the body was found,” Faizi said.
In yet another incident, two youth drowned in the Indus River in Balyani Akazai in KP’s Hazara division.
According to rescue spokesperson Rabnawaz Yousufzai, one youth jumped into the river to cool off from the heat. A second youth saw him drowning and jumped in to rescue him, but both were swept away by the strong current.
A third youth also jumped in to save his companions but was unsuccessful and barely managed to return to the river bank.
Following the incident, locals are helping search for the missing bodies.
More rain is expected in the next 24-48 hours across most districts of KP, according to a statement from KP PDMA.
Flooding is expected in Swat, Chitral, Abbotabad, Mansehra, Peshawar, Bannu and Waziristan. An increase in the water level is expected in Swat River and Panjokra River and its tributaries, PDMA said.
Low-level flooding is expected in the Kabul River over the next 48 hours.
“Land sliding and flooding in local rivers and canals is likely in mountainous areas. PDMA has issued alerts to district administrations to take precautionary measures,” the statement said.
Rescue 1122 and other relief teams have been directed to utilise all available resources.
PDMA has directed local administration to control traffic at sensitive places and highways, as well as direct travelers on national highways and provincial highways to take precaution. It was also directed that alternative routes be made for traffic flow.
“Ensure the cleanliness of rivers and drains and drainage systems to avoid urban flooding,” PDMA said.
The public was requested to take shelter in safe places during wind, hail and thunderstorms, while institutions were directed to disseminate weather alerts in local languages.
Farmers were directed to harvest crops early and store them in safe places, while cattle farmers were directed to protect their livestock.
“PDMA’s Emergency Operations Center is fully functional. The public should report any untoward incident to 1700,” the statement said.
