SWAT – Public outrage spread across Pakistan on Friday after a heartbreaking incident in Swat, where at least seven members of a family from Sialkot, including women and children, drowned due to rising floodwaters. The tragedy occurred near Mingora as the group became stranded on a small patch of land in the Swat River—with no rescue response in sight for hours.
According to Rescue 1122, the family of 18 had been enjoying breakfast near the riverbank early in the morning when a sudden surge of water, caused by upstream rainfall, trapped them around 8am. While three members were rescued, videos showed the rest clinging to the shrinking landmass as bystanders helplessly watched the unfolding disaster. The search for more victims remains ongoing.
Heart-wrenching footage went viral on social media, showing the victims waving for help while floodwaters continued to rise. No rescue boats or authorities arrived in time, triggering an emotional outpouring on platforms like X (formerly Twitter). Viewers condemned the authorities for failing to respond despite the family being visible for hours before being swept away.
Citizens, journalists, and political leaders strongly criticised the delay. Journalist Rizwan Ghilzai said, “They waited for rescue, but no department came.” Others, like PML-N Youth Wing’s Khadim Ali Yousafzai, labelled it a national failure, stating: “This tragedy highlights the deep flaws in our disaster response system.” Former Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan went a step further, calling for FIRs against the district administration and blaming the government’s incompetence for turning “tourism into terrorism.”
Many questioned why a popular tourist destination like Swat lacked basic emergency infrastructure. Former minister Samar Haroon Bilour expressed disbelief that such a critical location had no immediate rescue support. Meanwhile, Zahid Gishkori, a senior journalist, slammed the state’s inaction, saying, “These people could have been saved—their presence on that island was known for hours.”
As the nation mourns this devastating loss, calls for accountability and better disaster preparedness have grown louder. The tragedy has sparked a wider debate about the safety of tourists, response times of rescue authorities, and the uneven attention given to different regions in national emergencies. Authorities now face mounting pressure to not only investigate the delay but also take swift steps to prevent such horrors from repeating.