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Pre-monsoon rains trigger nationwide flash floods that have killed 17 people in 24 hours; over 100 rescuers scour Swat River for missing picnickers as PM Sharif orders tougher riverbank safeguards

Peshawar: 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- 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.

Fahad urged the public to heed earlier government warnings about possible flash flooding in the scenic Swat Valley, a popular summer destination for tens of thousands of tourists.

In eastern Punjab and southern Sindh provinces, at least 10 people were killed in rain- incidents over the same period, rescue officials reported. Weather forecasters say rains will continue this week; Pakistan’s annual monsoon season runs from July through September.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the Swat River fatalities and directed authorities to strengthen safety measures near rivers and streams.

Heavy rains since earlier this week have blocked highways and damaged homes. Despite the current devastation, forecasters predict this season’s downpours will be lighter than in 2022, when climate-induced floods swelled rivers, inundated one-third of the country and killed 1,739 people.