PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s fact-finding report on the Swat River disaster has shown egregious shortcomings on the side of the provincial administration that led to the deaths of twelve visitors last month.
Not only was the Tourism Department “entirely absent from the scene of the tragedy” and there was no proactive engagement in regulating or managing the safety, but the official tourist helpline (1422) remained unused, reflecting the lack of public awareness and outreach, according to the Culture and Tourism Department’s inquiry report.
The Swat River tragedy happened on June 27 when a family of 17 was having a picnic near the river when they were suddenly and violently swept away by the water.
