Rescue Efforts Underway After Cloudburst Devastates Swabi Villages
SWABI – Rescue teams are working around the clock to recover villagers trapped under debris after a sudden cloudburst struck remote areas of Swabi. Deputy Commissioner (DC) Swabi confirmed that seven excavators, six ambulances, two rescue vehicles, and members of Rescue 1122 are actively involved in the operations.
The official confirmed that the death toll has reached 17, including women and children. “Four people died in Sarkoi and 13 in Dalori village,” he said. Authorities have also provided tents, mosquito nets, and other relief items to the affected families.
AFP reports that in the darkness of the night, rescuers and villagers used mobile phone lights, hammers, shovels, and even their bare hands to dig through flattened houses and clear blocked pathways. The devastation followed a torrent of water and rocks that swept down Dalori village on Monday, destroying at least 15 homes, damaging several others, and killing nine people immediately. Around 20 villagers are still trapped under the rubble.
Lal Khan, a 46-year-old labourer from the area, recalled the moment of destruction: “A huge bang came from the top of the mountain, and then dark smoke filled the sky. A massive surge of water gushed down with the sliding mountain.”
The cloudburst comes amid heavy monsoon rains that have already claimed more than 350 lives across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Torrential rains since Thursday have caused widespread flooding and landslides, sweeping away entire villages, with approximately 200 people still missing. Authorities have issued warnings about the possibility of more flash floods in the coming days.
Residents described the scene as catastrophic. Khan recounted seeing the hand of his neighbor sticking out from the rubble, later recovered along with the bodies of her four children. “We are helpless. We don’t have the means to tackle this calamity that nature has sent upon us,” he said.
Gul Hazir, another local, described the event as “like an apocalyptic movie,” with multiple cloudbursts hitting the valley from different sides. “It was not the water that struck first, but a massive amount of rocks and stones that smashed into the houses,” Hazir explained.
Local administration official Usman Khan noted that many homes were built in the middle of the stream bed, which worsened the destruction. Despite difficult conditions, excavators are clearing debris from blocked drainage channels to restore water flow and prevent further damage.
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