Flash floods in Pakistan sweep away dozens of tourists, kill at least seven

Pre-monsoon flash floods triggered by heavy rains along the Swat River in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province swept away dozens of tourists on Friday, killing at least seven and leaving many more missing, officials said. Nationwide, rain-related incidents have claimed 17 lives in the past 24 hours.

Nearly 100 rescuers from various agencies have been searching for those swept away while picnicking on the riverbank, spokesman



Shah Fahad of the provincial emergency service said. So far, divers have rescued seven people and recovered seven bodies, and efforts continue to locate the remaining victims. Sixteen members of a single family are among the dead or missing.

Social-media videos showed about a dozen tourists stranded on a slightly elevated spot in the middle of the Swat River, desperately calling for help as floodwaters surged around them.