Peshawar:
On Thursday there was a research report by Malakand’s commissioner about the tragic incident in Swat River to the provincial inspection team. The report sheds light on the circumstances surrounding the event that charged multiple lives.
Last week, the sudden floods caused by a sudden increase in the Swat River and other currents in the district after heavy monzone rains that were charged by the lives of at least 12 people.
The Provincial Authority of Disaster Management (PDMA) described the level of flood as “very high”, while the authorities said that dozens of people were trapped when the authorities rushed to deal with the two -day consequences of implacable indicators.
According to the investigation, the construction work along the river had diverted the flow of water, which resulted in lower water levels at the accident site. This reduction in the water level led tourists to enter the river, without realizing the potential dangers.
The report revealed that strong rainfall caused the water level on Swat River to rise to 77,782 CUSECs. Preliminary findings indicate that 17 tourists were trapped in the flood, with 10 from Sialkot, Six of Milda and a local resident.
Read more: The wave of sudden water caused a swat tragedy
The affected tourists arrived at a local hotel at 8:31 am and entered the river an hour later at 9:31 am. The hotel security guard tried to stop them, but the group ignored the main entrance of the hotel and entered from behind. Only 14 minutes later, at 9:45 am, the increase in water levels caused a rescue call.
The authorities arrived at the site at 10:05 am, 20 minutes after the relief call. All relevant departments had been alerted to the risk of floods, with several weather warnings issued by worried agencies.
Emergency personnel had been predested for action in case of emergency. Before the flood, a decision had already been made to address the invasions along the riverbank. On June 2, section 144 was imposed in the Malakand division for a month.
The report indicated that on June 24, section 144 extended to ban swimming and navigation on the Swat River. Of the 17 caught tourists, four were rescued, 12 bodies were recovered and search efforts for a person are still ongoing.
Also read: DC Swat eliminated, four officials suspended
The report also revealed that 75 people were dragged into several parts of Swat. As a result, several key officials, including DC, ADC and BC of Babuzai and Khwazakhela were suspended. The emergency officer of the district and the Municipal Officer of Swat of Tehsil were also relieved of their duties.
Following the tragedy, on June 28, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s main secretary visited the site and imposed a complete prohibition of all mining activities.
Meanwhile, a report from the Irrigation Department of KP previously revealed that the flow of the Khwazakhela river increased dramatically by 71,044 Cusecs, from 6,738 to 77,782 Cusecs, in a few hours on June 27. The sudden ascent left a family in the river without any chance to return to security.
According to the report, the Irrigation Department issued an early warning at 8:41 am, alerting all relevant departments. Swat, Charsadda and Nowshera commissioners were informed in advance, and regular updates were shared through WhatsApp. A formal flood alert was issued at 10:30 am
The department said he sent repeatedly alerts to SWAT DC, PDMA, ADC RELIEF and other relevant officials. According to the reports, tourists entered the middle of the Khwazakhela river when the water level was stable, but was trapped when it began to increase. They waited for the water to go back, but the level continued to increase rapidly.
The report recommended equipping the 1122 rescue with flood rescue tools and urged hotels owners to restrict tourist movement to safe areas. He also asked the local administration to develop a comprehensive plan to administer the tourist movement and suggested the installation of telemetry meters in Madian and Kalam for better flood monitoring.
