1122 slow response over boy’s drowning draws public’s ire

Relatives of a boy, who drowned after falling into a pond in Khwazakhela tehsil of Swat district, staged a protest against authorities for their alleged delay in the rescue operation.

The protesters placed the body of the boy on a road and chanted slogans against KP Chief Minister Mahmud Khan’s government. “In-time response could have saved the boy,” the demonstrators said.

When contacted, Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Faizi explained how the rescuers finished a tough task with limited resources.

He said, “As soon as the locals called for help, an ambulance was dispatched to the site from Mitta, followed by a team of divers from Saidu.”

“Work on building a full-fledged 1122 station at Khwazakhela is underway as the tehsil is among the recently-approved projects in Swat. Distance between the two places spans more than 45 minutes,” the spokesman elaborated.