In northern Pakistan, dozens of people have been killed by flash floods after pre-monsoon rains have swept them away.
One extended family of 16 who were in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province were among the nine people who were killed, according to district administrator Shehzad Mahboob, who confirmed on Friday that they were from the area and were having a picnic breakfast by the Swat River.
When the flood struck, Mahboob explained that the family’s children were in the water taking pictures, and their families rushed in to save them but were trapped in the deluge, which the monsoon rains had made worse.
Four family members are still missing, according to Mahboob, and another four have been found. Four of the family’s bodies have been recovered.
Nearly 100 rescuers from various groups were looking for the tourists who had been swept away, according to Shah Fahad, a spokesperson for the provincial emergency service, earlier on Friday.
Fahad urged the public to heed previous government warnings regarding a potential flash flood in the Swat River, a popular tourist destination in the summer and winter.
In a statement from his office, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that he “expressed his grief over the tourists’ deaths.”
Sharif further stated that he had demanded more stringent safety measures close to rivers and streams.
At least 10 people have died in recent incidents involving rain in eastern Punjab and southern Sindh provinces, according to rescue officials.
Heavy rains have slammed parts of Pakistan since the start of the week, causing damage to homes and blocking roads.
Weather forecasters predict that as the country’s annual monsoon season, which starts in July and runs through September, will continue to rain this week.