(Swaad) 38 : 3
كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ مِنْ قَرْنٍ فَنَادَوْا وَلَاتَ حِينَ مَنَاصٍ
How many generations We have destroyed before them, then they cried out, but it was too late to escape.
All previous generations were destroyed when all of them became wrongdoers and transgressors by rejecting Adhikr. But their readiness to believe with warning of Messengers at the time of punishment was not beneficial to them as mentioned in verses 6: 158 and 7: 103. But they were destroyed by witnessing against their soul that indeed they were wrongdoers as explained in verse 21: 14. See explanation 10: 90-91; 21: 46, and 23: 100-101.