Pakistani authorities announced Friday that 18 people drowned in the Swat River in the north of the country.Local police said in a statement that a boat carrying 30 people, a wedding party in Punjab province, capsized in the Swat River after hitting the debris of a dam that had been blown up earlier in the day to divert its waters away from urban areas, killing 18 passengers.They noted that divers were able to rescue 18 other passengers, while the search for the rest is ongoing.The army revealed in a separate statement that one of its officers drowned while assisting in rescue efforts.It is worth noting that Pakistani military engineering forces had earlier Friday blown up several dams in central Pakistan to divert waters towards cities and protect them from floods that annually kill hundreds of civilians, especially during the rainy season. (
