This pattern succesfully matches all of the sample lines.
my $dist = $1 if ($str =~ /dist:.([0-9]+)/s );

Your regex IS getting the numerical part of string, but it is capturing the newlines with it as well. Maybe this fact is what is causing you problems?
Wonko

In reply to Re: newline in pattern matching by Wonko the sane
in thread newline in pattern matching by Anonymous Monk

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