Pakistan’s Punjab faces the biggest floods in its history, affecting 2 million people
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Pakistan’s Punjab province battered by its biggest flood with 2 million people at risk
India had alerted Pakistan to the possibility of cross-border flooding last week, the first public diplomatic contact between the rivals since a crisis brought them close to war in May. Downpours and cloudbursts have triggered flash floods and landslides across the mountainous north and northwest in recent months. Punjab received 26.5% more monsoon rain between July 1 and Aug. 27, compared to the same period last year. Authorities installed explosives at five key embankments to divert water away from the city, if needed, ahead of a massive wave on its way from the Chenab River. Pakistani TV channels showed people clambering into rescue boats and sailing across fully submerged farmland to safety. The flood has affected 2 million people. It’s the first time that the three rivers — Sutlej, Chenab, and Ravi — have carried such high levels of water,” the senior minister for the province, Maryam Aurangzeb, told a press conference on Sunday.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province is dealing with the biggest flood in its history, a senior official said Sunday, as water levels of rivers rise to all-time highs.
Global warming has worsened monsoon rains this year in Pakistan, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, according to a new study. Downpours and cloudbursts have triggered flash floods and landslides across the mountainous north and northwest in recent months.
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Residents in eastern Punjab have also experienced abnormal amounts of rain, as well as cross-border flooding after India released water from swollen rivers that overflowed dams into Pakistan’s low-lying regions.
“This is the biggest flood in the history of the Punjab. The flood has affected 2 million people. It’s the first time that the three rivers — Sutlej, Chenab, and Ravi — have carried such high levels of water,” the senior minister for the province, Maryam Aurangzeb, told a press conference on Sunday.
Local authorities were evacuating people and using educational institutions, police and security facilities as rescue camps, she said. Pakistani TV channels showed people clambering into rescue boats and sailing across fully submerged farmland to safety.
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“The Foreign Ministry is collecting data regarding India’s deliberate release of water into Pakistan,” Aurangzeb said. There was no immediate comment from India.
India had alerted Pakistan to the possibility of cross-border flooding last week, the first public diplomatic contact between the rivals since a crisis brought them close to war in May.
Punjab, home to some 150 million people, is a vital part of the country’s agricultural sector and is Pakistan’s main wheat producer. Ferocious flooding in 2022 wiped out huge swathes of crops in the east and south of the country, leading Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to warn that the country faced food shortages.
Figures from Pakistan’s national weather center show that Punjab received 26.5% more monsoon rain between July 1 and Aug. 27, compared to the same period last year.
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In Multan, authorities installed explosives at five key embankments to divert water away from the city, if needed, ahead of a massive wave on its way from the Chenab River.
Multan Commissioner Amir Kareem Khan said drones were used to monitor low-lying areas while teams tried to persuade residents who had not yet evacuated to do so.
Pakistan’s disaster management authority said 849 people have been killed and 1,130 injured nationwide in rain-related incidents since June 26.
The chief minister of southern Sindh province, Murad Ali Shah, said he had instructed the Irrigation Department to get ready for a “super flood” at barrages.
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“We call it a super flood when the water level exceeds 900,000 cusec (cubic foot per second),” Shah told reporters. “We hope that the water will not reach the 900,000 level, but we still have to be prepared. The most important thing for us is that we save human lives and livestock.”
Pakistan’s monsoon season usually runs to the end of September.
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Flash floods leave 34 dead in Indian-controlled Kashmir as over 210,000 in Pakistan are displaced
Heavy downpours and flash floods in the Himalayan region have killed nearly 100 people in August. Forecasters warning rain will continue across the region this week. Devotees had been trekking to reach the hilltop temple, which is one of the most visited shrines in northern India. Authorities in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province called for army assistance in rescue and relief efforts after torrential rains caused major rivers to swell, inundating villages and displacing over 210,000 people, an official said. The bodies of pilgrims were recovered from under the debris, according to disaster management official Mohammed Irshad, who said at least 18 other people were injured and transported to hospitals. The shrine of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion, is located near the Indian border in Narowal district, officials said. He added that rescue operations were continuing, with relief supplies being rushed to flood-hit areas.
NEW DELHI (AP) — Intense rains have left at least 34 people dead after lashing parts of Pakistan and India and triggering flash floods and landslides in Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said Wednesday.
Over 210,000 people in Pakistan have been displaced, and the shrine of the founder of the Sikh religion has been submerged.
Heavy downpours and flash floods in the Himalayan region have killed nearly 100 people in August, with forecasters warning rain will continue across the region this week.
Part of a mountainside in Indian-controlled Kashmir’s Jammu region collapsed onto a popular Hindu pilgrimage route following heavy rains in the Katra area late Tuesday. Devotees had been trekking to reach the hilltop temple, which is one of the most visited shrines in northern India, officials said.
The bodies of pilgrims were recovered from under the debris, according to disaster management official Mohammed Irshad, who said at least 18 other people were injured and transported to hospitals.
Rescue teams scoured the area Wednesday for the missing, while pilgrimages to the shrine have been suspended, Irshad said.
Authorities in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province on Wednesday called for army assistance in rescue and relief efforts after torrential rains caused major rivers to swell, inundating villages and displacing over 210,000 people, according to Lt. Gen. Inam Haider, chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority.
Haider said rescue operations were continuing, with relief supplies being rushed to flood-hit areas.
Army spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif said two soldiers were killed while helping flood victims. He gave no further details.
Floods also submerged the shrine of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion, which is located near the Indian border in Narowal district.
Late Wednesday, authorities carried out a controlled breach of a protective embankment on the Chenab river in Punjab to protect a barrage from collapse under extreme flood pressure. Local officials said explosives were used to open the right marginal dyke, diverting water into nearby villages, where hundreds of people sitting on higher grounds under the open sky and watching floodwaters submerge their homes.
Rescuers evacuated more than 20,000 people overnight from the outskirts of Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city, which faced the risk of flooding, as the Ravi river continued to rise. Those evacuated were living along the bed of the river, said Irfan Ali Kathia, director-general of the Punjab Disaster Management Authority.
Mass evacuations began earlier this week in six districts of Punjab after heavier-than-normal monsoon rains and the release of water from overflowing dams in neighboring India triggered flash floods in low-lying border regions, Kathia said.
Kathia warned floodwaters in the Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej rivers were rising dangerously and many villages were inundated in Kasur, Okara, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Vehari and Sialkot districts.
Rescuers with sniffer dogs continue to search for more than 150 people who have been reported missing this month after flooding killed over 300 residents in three villages in Pakistan’s northwestern Buner district.
Floods have killed more than 800 people in Pakistan since late June.
Scientists say climate change is fueling heavier monsoon rains in South Asia, raising fears of a repeat of a 2022 weather disaster that struck a third of Pakistan and killed 1,739 people. Haider said next year’s monsoon could be 22% more intense due to climate change.
India alerted Pakistan on Monday about possible cross-border flooding due to the heavy monsoon rains, in what marked the first public official contact between the two nuclear-armed rivals in months.
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Ahmed reported from Islamabad and Saaliq reported from New Delhi. Associated Press writer Babar Dogar contributed from Lahore, Pakistan.
Munir Ahmed And Sheikh Saaliq, The Associated Press
Pakistan’s Punjab faces biggest floods in its history, affecting 2M people
Global warming has worsened monsoon rains this year in Pakistan. Downpours and cloudbursts have triggered flash floods and landslides across the mountainous north and northwest. Residents in eastern Punjab have also experienced abnormal amounts of rain. India released water from swollen rivers and overflowing dams into Pakistan’s low-lying regions.
Global warming has worsened monsoon rains this year in Pakistan, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Downpours and cloudbursts have triggered flash floods and landslides across the mountainous north and northwest in recent months.
Residents in eastern Punjab have also experienced abnormal amounts of rain, as well as cross-border flooding after India released water from swollen rivers and overflowing dams into Pakistan’s low-lying regions.
The senior minister for the province, Maryam Aurangzeb, told a press conference on Sunday: “This is the biggest flood in the history of the Punjab. The flood has affected two million people. It’s the first time that the three rivers — Sutlet, Chenab, and Ravi — have carried such high levels of water.”
Local authorities are using educational institutions, police, and security facilities as rescue camps, and evacuating people, including by boat, she said.
“The Foreign Ministry is collecting data regarding India’s deliberate release of water into Pakistan,” added Aurangzeb. There was no immediate comment from India.
Related TRT World – Pakistan deploys army as India warns of ‘high probability’ of flooding
Hundreds killed
Pakistan’s Punjab faces biggest floods in its history, affecting 2 million people
Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province is dealing with the biggest flood in its history. Downpours and cloudbursts have triggered flash floods and landslides across the mountainous north and northwest. India released water from swollen rivers and overflowing dams into Pakistan’s low-lying regions. India alerted its neighbor to the possibility of cross-border flooding last week, the first public diplomatic contact between the two countries since a crisis brought them close to war in May. The flood has affected two million people.
Global warming has worsened monsoon rains this year in Pakistan, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Downpours and cloudbursts have triggered flash floods and landslides across the mountainous north and northwest in recent months.
Residents in eastern Punjab have also experienced abnormal amounts of rain, as well as cross-border flooding after India released water from swollen rivers and overflowing dams into Pakistan’s low-lying regions.
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The senior minister for the province, Maryam Aurangzeb, told a press conference on Sunday: “This is the biggest flood in the history of the Punjab. The flood has affected two million people. It’s the first time that the three rivers — Sutlej, Chenab, and Ravi — have carried such high levels of water.”
Local authorities are using educational institutions, police, and security facilities as rescue camps, and evacuating people, including by boat, she said.
“The Foreign Ministry is collecting data regarding India’s deliberate release of water into Pakistan,” added Aurangzeb. There was no immediate comment from India.
India alerted its neighbor to the possibility of cross-border flooding last week, the first public diplomatic contact between the two countries since a crisis brought them close to war in May.
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Punjab, home to some 150 million people, is a vital part of the country’s agricultural sector and is Pakistan’s main wheat producer. Ferocious flooding in 2022 wiped out huge swaths of crops in the east and south of the country, leading Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to warn that his country faced food shortages.
Figures from Pakistan’s national weather center show that Punjab received 26.5% more monsoon rain between July 1 and August 27 compared to the same period last year.
The country’s disaster management authority said 849 people have been killed and 1,130 injured nationwide in rain-related incidents since June 26.
Pakistan’s monsoon season usually runs to the end of September.
33 killed, 7 lakh evacuated: Pakistan’s Punjab faces biggest flood in history; over 2 million affected
Experts say global warming has made this year’s monsoon worse in Pakistan. In recent months, heavy rains and cloudbursts have led to flash floods and landslides in the northern and northwestern mountains. Floods in 2022 destroyed large areas of crops in the east and south, prompting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to warn of food shortages. Since June 26, rain-related incidents have killed 849 people and injured 1,130 across the country.
More Than 150,000 Evacuated in Pakistan Punjab After India’s Flood Alert
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Monsoon rains continue to cause severe flooding in Pakistan’s Punjab province, which is facing the biggest flood in its history, Associated Press reported.Experts say global warming has made this year’s monsoon worse in Pakistan, which is highly exposed to climate change. In recent months, heavy rains and cloudbursts have led to flash floods and landslides in the northern and northwestern mountains.According to ARY News, cited by ANI, flooding and rains have killed 33 people, hit 2,200 villages, and forced over 700,000 residents to evacuate in Pakistan’s Punjab province.Punjab’s senior minister Maryam Aurangzeb said at a press conference on Sunday: “This is the biggest flood in the history of the Punjab. The flood has affected two million people. It’s the first time that the three rivers — Sutlej, Chenab, and Ravi — have carried such high levels of water.”Punjab, with about 150 million people, is a key farming area and Pakistan’s main wheat producer. Floods in 2022 destroyed large areas of crops in the east and south, prompting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to warn of food shortages.The national weather center reported that Punjab received 26.5% more monsoon rainfall between July 1 and August 27 compared with the same period last year.Pakistan’s disaster management authority said that since June 26, rain-related incidents have killed 849 people and injured 1,130 across the country.