SWAT, Pakistan: The devastating flood events in Swat and Lower Kohistan districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) — though three years apart — expose a troubling pattern of delayed rescue responses and tragic loss of lives.
In both instances, heavy floods swept through rural areas, leaving numerous victims trapped in rising waters and facing unimaginable hardships.
Tourists trapped, lives lost
A powerful surge in the River Swat claimed the lives of at least 17 people on Friday, including women and children, while over 75 others were stranded at various locations. At Mingora Bypass — a popular picnic spot along the River Swat just three kilometres from Mingora city — about 22 tourists, who had just arrived, were sitting by the river for breakfast when the floodwaters surrounded them.
“Ten out of the 17 people who were having breakfast drowned while seven were rescued by locals and Rescue 1122 divers,” says a rescued tourist, Muhammad Mohsin.
The tragedy unfolded as many tourists enjoyed the serene beauty of the river, unaware of the impending danger. Eyewitnesses and locals recall the harrowing moments when tourists, including families from Sialkot and Mardan, were caught off guard by rapidly rising floodwaters.
Rescue delays spark outrage
The flooding caught both locals and tourists by surprise, expressing concerns that many victims remained stranded for over an hour without any official assistance.
Rescue 1122, which has a nearby office less than 5 kilometres away, failed to reach the scene in time. Despite repeated attempts by residents to save those trapped, many efforts proved unsuccessful, adding to the feeling of helplessness.
On the other hand, a local man, Muhammad Hilal, managed to rescue three individuals from a more dangerous nearby location, but many others perished. Eyewitnesses lamented that timely help could have saved lives.
Alerts ignored, tragedy followed
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) had issued a flood alert the night before the disaster.
The PDMA Khyber Pakhtunkhwa issued a flood alert on Thursday after water discharge levels at Khwazakhela in River Swat surged to 77,782 cusecs, categorising it as a very high flood situation due to the ongoing heavy rainfall in the area, said Fayaz Zafar, a local journalist.
However, despite the warning, the district administration failed to take preventive measures, such as imposing Section 144, which could have restricted public access to the riverbanks.
Locals also point to gravel mining in the riverbed as a significant contributing factor to the disaster, claiming it altered the natural flow of the river, making it more prone to sudden flooding. These concerns have fuelled public frustration, especially given the preventable nature of the tragedy.
Despite the warning and the PDMA alert, the failure of local authorities to act decisively left many families in grief. In addition, local civil society groups are calling for a comprehensive review of the emergency response system and more stringent preventive measures to ensure the safety of residents and tourists in flood-prone areas.
Past tragedy revisited
The civil society members are of the view that the provincial government did not learn any lesson from the past incidents as three years earlier, in August 2022, a similar tragedy struck in Lower Kohistan, when four men from the indigenous community in Sangai village were tragically swept away by the floods.
Stranded on a rock surrounded by surging floodwaters, the men desperately clung to ropes, but four vanished into the river one by one. One survivor, Muhammad Obaidullah, managed to live, but the others were lost.
The flood was caused by torrents of water from upstream, which swelled the Dubair stream, running parallel to the road in the Sanagai area. Local eyewitnesses had described how two of the victims, drivers by profession, tried to park their vehicles as the water level rose. As they tried to move their vehicles, they were swept away by the floodwaters, and their fellow villagers tried desperately to help, only to succumb to the rising tide. As the victims clung to ropes in a last-ditch effort to save themselves, they were overtaken by the gushing water.
Like the 2022 Lower Kohistan tragedy, the delayed response by the local administration worsened the despair.
Echoes of past failures
While both incidents in Swat (2025) and Lower Kohistan (2022) shared the tragic element of swift, unforeseen floods, the most striking similarity was the delay in rescue operations. In 2025, locals complained that the Rescue 1122 teams reached the affected areas too late, and by the time they arrived, many lives had already been lost.
In 2022, frantic calls for helicopter assistance and appeals to political leaders failed to prompt a timely response.
Moreover, both tragedies drew sharp criticism from local communities and civil society groups. In 2025, Swat civil society organised protests and demanded a review of the district administration’s response. Similarly, in 2022, Lower Kohistan villagers expressed their frustrations, calling for accountability from the local authorities. In both cases, the delay in reaching the flood-affected areas not only exacerbated the loss of life but also raised questions about the preparedness and efficiency of emergency services in rural regions.
Calls for accountability
In both incidents, the provincial government failed to provide helicopter service, and the locals say that if the relevant authorities and the provincial government had provided help in time, all the drowned would have been rescued.
Our government did not learn any lesson from the past tragic events, and the officials seem to enjoy their comfortable offices, says Ifthikhar Afzal, a social activist based in Swat.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Livestock, Fisheries, and Cooperatives Fazal Hakeem Khan — who also hails from Swat — tells WE News English that he had immediately contacted the Commissioner of the Malakand Division and issued instructions for a transparent and thorough investigation of the incident.
“If any negligence by the district administration or Rescue 1122 at any level is proven, strict action will be taken against the responsible people,” he resolves, urging the public to avoid unnecessary movement along the banks of the River Swat.
Lessons from tragedy
The 2022 and 2025 tragedies serve as painful reminders of the devastating consequences of poorly coordinated emergency responses in flood-prone areas. While both incidents highlighted the bravery of local residents who tried to assist the victims, the lack of timely intervention from the authorities remains a critical concern.
The repeated failure to deploy swift rescue efforts in both cases has ignited a broader conversation about the need for improved flood management, timely evacuations, and better disaster preparedness in vulnerable regions.
As both the Swat and Lower Kohistan communities continue to grieve their losses, there is an urgent need for authorities to review and overhaul their emergency response systems. The hope is that the lessons from these tragedies will lead to tangible improvements in disaster management and ensure that no more lives are lost due to preventable delays.
