A shepherd in Shangla risked his life to rescue eight members of a neighbouring family and their livestock during the devastating floods triggered by a cloudburst in the district’s Puran tehsil.

 

According to reports, 57-year-old Sher Malik was at home on the night of August 14 when he heard screams for help from his neighbours whose house was surrounded by floodwater. The family had no men at home, leaving women, children and animals trapped inside.

 

“My house is on higher ground, and their home was almost submerged. The water had surrounded them from all sides,” Malik said, adding that he rushed there immediately and first rescued the children, then the women and shifted them to his own house.

 

The family then pleaded with him to save their animals. “They begged me to save the cattle, saying they would suffer great losses otherwise,” he recalled.

 

Malik went back despite the rising water levels. While rescuing a goat, the house’s roof collapsed on him, crushing his arm. “The roof was made of iron sheets. My hand was badly injured and started bleeding, but I stayed conscious.”

 

He remained trapped under the debris for nearly three hours as water rushed through the area. “After a lot of effort, I managed to free myself,” Malik said.

 

Eventually, he was pulled out and taken home with his arm tied in cloth. Unfortunately, he lost his hand, which was later recovered from the rubble. Community members carried him to a hospital in Peshawar for surgery.

 

When asked why he took such a risk, Malik said, “As a Muslim, as a human and as a neighbor, it was my duty to save their lives.”

 

“If I hadn’t been there, they would have died like many others who were swept away in the floods,” he said.

 

Malik, who depends on livestock for his livelihood, said locals are helping him with food and medical expenses. He recently returned home after treatment and continues to receive visitors who laud his bravery, and urge the government to provide financial assistance.

 

Shangla is among the worst-hit districts in recent floods that claimed 36 lives in the area. According to Rescue 1122, 31 bodies have so far been recovered in Puran alone while operations continue in Khowar Banda and Shati Dara.