'Riverbank Construction' Led To Disaster.

As videos of huge multi-storey concrete structures being washed away by floodwater within seconds went viral on social media, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa officials said most of the buildings in question were hotels built along the riverbank, rather than houses.

The tourist destinations of Swat and Kalam were the first targets of what officials say was a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF). A senior serving K-P bureacrat who served as a deputy commissioner in Swat questioned why the Town Municipal Administration and Irrigation Department issued No Objection Certificates for multi-story buildings along the riverbank knowing that these areas are fragile.

'The British marked everything. The road is the boundary between the river and construction. I wonder who allowed construction across the road on the river banks,' the official asked. 'I saw two hotels swept away by floods. Both were running on stay orders obtained from the courts. Now tell me what can I do,' he said.

The official, who hesitated to be named, said the National Engineering Services Pakistan could provide the old markings and the government could avoid destruction in the future by determining whether the land is safe from flooding. 'If someone has documents, the government should should not allow concrete construction- only recreational places like parks and gardens should be allowed in these spots,' he suggested.

Other K-P officials, however, said not every concrete structure along the riverbank was destroyed. They pointed out that the Swat river had also changed course slightly, accounting for some of the destruction.

Residents however pointed the finger at deforestation for the loss of lives and property. 'I have always called it a bluff - there is no sign of what they...