MINGORA: It was midnight when Yasmin and her family were ordered to urgently evacuate their room at the Honeymoon Hotel, which towered over the picturesque ice-blue waters of the Svát River. Last week they traded the sticky summer of Lahore for the cooler climes of the northeastern mountains as they became embroiled in one of Pakistan's worst disasters - one that has left more than 1,100 dead and a third of the country inundated by severe floods.
They fled their hotel in the remote Kalam Valley in the dark. Hours later, from the safety of higher ground, they watched as it collapsed and disintegrated into the thundering waters. "There was chaos, everyone was rushing to save their lives," Yasmin, 53, told AFP on Tuesday after being evacuated to Mingora. "We heard very loud bangs and then I saw the hotel we were staying in submerged in water. The sound of the water was so loud. It was like something exploded." In panic, she witnessed the despair of a mother unable to hold her young child. "The child was screaming but his voice was drowned out by the rush of water. His mother tried to save him but she couldn't," Yasmin recalled, choking on her words. The boy was one of at least 21 people in the area lost in the floods, mainly due to collapsed houses. Reports of last Thursday night's horror began to emerge after tourists were airlifted to safety by rescue mission helicopters - the only way to reach remote valleys cut off by floods.
Thousands are still stranded Along the river Svát are the remains of destroyed bridges, overturned roads and the remains of hotels clinging to the banks. The water has receded, but it may take several days for road connections to nearby towns to be restored. Junaid Khan, deputy commissioner for Swat, told AFP that up to 200,000 people had been cut off. More than 600 affected tourists made up most of the evacuations, with women, children and the sick prioritized in an effort led by the military and supported by a provincial government helicopter. Some 3,500 food aid packages have already been delivered - some falling from the back of the helicopter as crowds of people reached for the plane, preventing it from landing. Known locally as the 'Switzerland of Pakistan', the stunning Swat Valley is a popular destination for its majestic mountains, lakes and rivers. For days after her first night of horror, Yasmin's family hid in guest houses away from the swollen river until she could be rescued with her husband, who has kidney disease, and her 12-year-old daughter. Her two grown sons were left behind. Although seasonal monsoon rains were generally expected, tourists were surprised by the extent of the flooding that swept through the area. "I feel like I've been given a second life after flying here," Yasmin said from the safety of the airport.