Shangla - At least four people, including two young girls, have drowned in separate incidents in Chakesar tehsil of Shangla district, while rescue teams and local divers continued to search for a missing man in the River Indus, officials and residents said on Monday. The incidents, reported from different parts of Chakesar, have cast a pall of grief over the region.
Heat and unsafe bathing practices blamed
Residents attributed the tragedies to intense heat, rising water levels and unsafe bathing practices in rivers, streams and ponds. According to local sources, the victims were either bathing or collecting water for domestic use amid the ongoing hot weather, which has driven many — particularly children and young people — to nearby water bodies in search of relief from soaring temperatures.
First incident: Two minor girls drown
In the first incident, two minor girls drowned while bathing in a pond formed along a local stream in the Gananagar area. Residents rushed to the scene and retrieved the girls before taking them to a nearby hospital, where doctors confirmed they had died before arrival. The deceased were identified as 13-year-old Javeria Bibi and nine-year-old Roomisa Inayat, residents of Khawar Patti Sarcool in Chakesar. Their deaths plunged the locality into mourning, with relatives and neighbours expressing profound sorrow.
Separate incidents claim woman and man
In a separate incident in the Tangu Charh area of Gonanagar, a 27-year-old woman, Tayyaba Abdullah, drowned after reportedly slipping into the river while fetching water for household use. Despite immediate rescue efforts by family members and locals, she could not be saved due to the strong currents. Meanwhile, a man identified as Muhammad Aziz also drowned at the same location while bathing in the river. Witnesses said he was swept away by the fast-moving water shortly after entering the river.
Rescue operations underway
Rescue operations were under way at the time of filing this report, with local divers and aquatic rescue teams searching for the missing victim. Officials warned that strong currents and elevated water levels could hamper recovery efforts. District administration officials said the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) had recently issued alerts regarding sudden surges in water levels in rivers, streams and seasonal nullahs following recent rainfall and unstable weather conditions in mountainous areas.
Safety measures and public appeal
They added that Section 144 had been imposed in vulnerable locations to discourage people from visiting hazardous water bodies. Citizens have been urged to avoid unnecessary movement near rivers and ponds and to ensure that children are kept away from unsafe areas. The administration appealed to the public to adhere strictly to safety advisories, cautioning that negligence could result in further loss of life. Local residents also called for enhanced public awareness campaigns and improved rescue infrastructure in remote areas to help prevent similar tragedies in future.
