Pak: 11 die after being swept away in Swat river

Swat [Pakistan], June 29 : A family from Pakistan's Sialkot lost 11 members to sudden surge in the water level of Swat river, Geo News reported.

17 members of the family were swept away during a picnic along the Swat River, as per Geo News.

The search is still on for two individuals, while four were rescued.

The national meteorological service warned that the risk of heavy rain and possible flash floods will remain high until at least Tuesday, as per Geo News.

Heavy rain and flash flooding across Pakistan have killed 32 people since the start of the monsoon season earlier this week, according to the disaster management officials, Al Jazeera reported.

Flash floods and roof collapses since Wednesday have claimed the lives of 19 people, eight of them children, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial disaster management authority said in a statement on Saturday, as per Al Jazeera.

Flooding in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has also damaged 56 houses, six of which were destroyed, the disaster authority said. The national meteorological service warned that the risk of heavy rain and possible flash floods will remain high until at least Tuesday.

District administrator Shehzad Mahboob said on Friday that the nine people who were killed were from one extended family of 16 who were visiting the area and having a picnic breakfast by the Swat River, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Al Jazeera reported.

Mahboob explained that children from the family were in the water taking photos when the flood occurred, relatives rushed in to save them, but were trapped in the deluge, which was exacerbated by the monsoon rains, as per Al Jazeera.

Last month, at least 32 people were killed in severe storms in the South Asian nation, which experienced several extreme weather events in the spring, including strong hailstorms.

Pakistan is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, and its 240 million inhabitants are facing extreme weather events with increasing frequency.

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