On June 27th, in northern Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, heavy rainfall caused a sudden surge in the water level of the Swat River. The powerful floodwaters swept through the riverbanks, destroying everything in their path. Dozens of people were caught in the deluge, including a group of 17 tourists. While the adults relaxed by the shore, the children played in the water and took selfies. According to eyewitnesses, the river initially appeared calm, with low water levels, and there were no signs of imminent danger. But suddenly, a surge of rainwater rushed in and swept the children away.
The adults tried to save them but became trapped themselves. The water rose with such force it felt as though a dam had burst. For some time, the group clung to a narrow patch of high ground, surrounded by the raging current.
People waited for rescue for over an hour, but the floodwaters were too strong — and ultimately carried them away as well. The tragedy claimed at least nine lives, including children. Four people were rescued, while four others remain missing.
Authorities stated that they had issued a flood warning in advance and prohibited access to the river, but many ignored the advisory.
This disaster is part of a series of flash floods that have struck Pakistan in recent days, resulting in at least 45 fatalities.
In recent years, Pakistan has been experiencing a growing number of climate anomalies, increasingly leading to loss of life. The country's typical seasonal rains are turning into full-blown disasters with alarming regularity.
This highlights the urgent need for immediate action to reduce the intensity and frequency of natural disasters, as adaptation is becoming nearly impossible. The international scientific community AllatRa has proposed a set of engineering solutions whose effectiveness has already been demonstrated in practice — these technologies have helped reduce both the scale and frequency of catastrophic events. Details of these developments were presented by AllatRa scientist Dr. Egon Cholakian in his report, “Declaration That Will Shake Science.”