Punjab floods kill 10 as torrential downpours disrupt Pakistani cities
At least 10 people lost their lives as heavy rain and strong winds battered cities across Punjab on causing widespread urban flooding and significant disruption, rescue officials and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said.
The downpour brought much-needed relief from weeks of scorching heat but also led to emergencies across multiple districts. Rescue 1122 reported providing emergency services to 46 individuals over the past 24 hours, of whom 39 were hospitalized, and seven succumbed to injuries sustained during the incidents, Caliber.Az reports, citing Pakistani media.
Okara witnessed the highest number of emergencies with eight cases, followed by Multan with four. Other affected districts include Faisalabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Jhang, Chiniot, Lahore, Kasur, Jhelum, Sahiwal, Murree, Muzaffargarh, Bahawalnagar, and Khanewal.
Among the fatalities were a 5-year-old girl, Dua Fatima, who died when a bamboo roof collapsed in Okara’s Basti Riazabad. In Jhelum, two people died after a loader rickshaw plunged into a storm drain on a flooded road. Two others lost their lives in Muzaffargarh when a house wall collapsed, while two girls died in Kasur following a roof collapse. Lightning strikes claimed the lives of two farmers working in fields in Khanewal and Toba Tek Singh.
According to the PDMA report, Faisalabad’s GMA Town recorded the highest rainfall at 98 mm, with Madina Town close behind at 91 mm. Lahore’s Nishtar Town saw 50 mm of rain, causing severe flooding that submerged roads and underpasses, disrupting traffic and causing power outages.
PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia assured, “Families of the deceased will be compensated and assisted under the government policy.” He further stated that monsoon rains are expected to continue until July 1 and urged citizens to take precautionary measures.
Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman directed all government departments to maintain high alert for urban flooding. At a Civil Secretariat meeting attended virtually by all deputy commissioners, he emphasized, “Rainwater should be immediately drained from low-lying areas. All dewatering pumps and other machinery must be kept operational to enable swift emergency responses.”
By Vafa Guliyeva