Pakistan: Swabi cloudburst death toll rises to 42 as rescue ops conclude

Swabi [Pakistan], August 21 (ANI): The rescue mission in Dalori Bala, a remote village in the mountainous Gadoon Amazai region of the Swabi district of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has officially concluded following the recovery of all 37 people reported missing after a devastating cloudburst, taking the death toll to 42, The Express Tribune reported.
According to The Express Tribune, citing the Deputy Commissioner of Swabi, Nasrullah Khan, the last bodies were retrieved based on a report by Additional Assistant Commissioner of Tehsil Topi, Usman Khan.
With the search and recovery efforts now complete, local authorities have shifted their focus to relief and rehabilitation for the affected communities.
The cloudburst struck early Monday morning, triggering intense flash floods, landslides, and falling boulders that devastated the region, The Express Tribune reported. Dalori Bala suffered the worst, with 15 houses completely destroyed and another 25 partially damaged.
A total of 37 people have died in Dalori Bala, including men, women, and children, The Express Tribune reported.
Additional fatalities included two women and two children in Sarkoi Payan village and one youth who drowned in floodwaters at Kernal Sher Khan Kallay.
Rescue operations continued for nearly 60 hours, carried out by Rescue Swabi, Al-Khidmat Foundation, the Pakistan Army, and other welfare groups. Twenty-six bodies were recovered on the first two days, while the remaining 13 were found on Wednesday, The Express Tribune reported.
Officials reported that the scale of devastation was worsened by massive boulders tumbling down the surrounding mountains, which crushed homes and trapped residents under heavy debris. Essential services such as drinking water, electricity, and communication lines have been disrupted in Dalori Bala and nearby areas, including Dalori Payan, Sarkoi Payan, Mangal Chai, and Bada, The Express Tribune reported.
Efforts are now underway to restore basic infrastructure and provide aid to the survivors. (ANI)