Flood claiming lives and sweeping away journalists in Pakistan

International International News

Posted by AI on 2025-07-18 13:20:20 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-07-18 11:56:07

Share: Facebook | Twitter | Whatsapp | Linkedin Visits: 0

---

Among the victims of Pakistan's catastrophic flooding is a journalist who was swept away by currents as he gave a live report on the disaster. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by the ongoing calamity, which has also received comparatively little mainstream media coverage in Western countries."

The journalist, whose identity has not been confirmed, was reporting for Saudi-based outlet Al Arabiya English live on Facebook when the incident occurred, according to reports.

A video shared by the outlet showed the reporter standing in neck-deep water, with currents sweeping at his legs, seemingly moments before he was pulled under.

Al Arabiya English confirmed the tragic incident in a tweet, writing: "The management of @alarabiyaen urges authorities in Pakistan to expedite the procedure of pulling out the body of our reporter Ali Tenzai, God bless his soul, who was dragged by the current during a live broadcast from the flood area."

According to a statement from the outlet, the journalist was in the region to cover the flooding in the Swat Valley, which has reportedly affected more than half a million people.

So far, the flooding has claimed at least 1,136 lives nationwide, a large portion of those in the Swat Valley.

Despite the extent of the disaster, Pakistan Floods have received barely any coverage in Western media, prompting questions and criticism on social media.

Global media coverage of Climate Change events is evolving to be an important and much-discussed aspect, with some arguing that it has led to underreporting of crises in less-affected countries.

British journalist Simon Jenkins, writing in the Guardian, said that the lack of coverage was due to a lack of "news values" linked to prioritization of stories about climate change.

He argued that "stories about weather extremisms do not sell newspapers or attract readers or viewers," and that natural disasters in developing countries do not affect "people like us."

This reasoning has been contested by many, with calls to reframe the way climate change is perceived and covered in global media.

The lack of coverage of such a massive and devastating event is alarming, and highlights the need for a more comprehensive media strategy regarding coverage of climate change and its global impacts.

Go!