Pakistan evacuates half a million stranded by floods

Nearly half a million people have been displaced by flooding in eastern Pakistan after days of heavy rain swelled rivers, relief officials said on Saturday, as they carried out a massive rescue operation.

Three trans-boundary rivers that cut through Punjab province, which borders India, have swollen to exceptionally high levels, affecting more than 2,300 villages.

Nabeel Javed, the head of the Punjab government’s relief services, said 481,000 people stranded by the floods have been evacuated, along with 405,000 livestock.

Overall, more than 1.5 million people have been affected by the flooding.

Residents who fled from a flooded area load their belongings to move to higher ground, following monsoon rains and rising water levels of the Chenab River, in Harsa Bhula village, Chiniot district, Punjab province, Pakistan, on Saturday. Reuters

“This is the biggest rescue operation in Punjab’s history,” Irfan Ali Khan, the head of the province’s disaster management agency, added at a press conference.

He said more than 800 boats and over 1,300 rescue personnel were involved in evacuating families from affected areas, mostly located in rural areas near the banks of the three rivers.

The latest spell of monsoon flooding since the start of the week has killed 30 people, he said, with hundreds left dead throughout the heavier than usual season that began in June.

“No human life is being left unattended. All kinds of rescue efforts are continuing,” Khan said.

Residents who have fled from a flooded area eat their lunch handouts received from a distribution point in Chiniot district, Punjab province, Pakistan, on Saturday. Reuters

More than 500 relief camps have been set up to provide shelter to families and their livestock.

In the impoverished town of Shahdara, on the outskirts of the provincial capital of Lahore, dozens of families were gathered in a school after fleeing the rising water in their homes.

Rain continued throughout Saturday, including in Lahore, the country’s second-largest city, where an entire housing development was half submerged by water.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Saturday provided 500 ration bags each to flood-hit Sialkot and Narowal, containing 46 kilograms of essential supplies comprising 22 items to be distributed through respective district administrations to support affected residents.

Residents who have fled flooded areas gather to receive food handouts as they take refuge along a road in Chiniot district, Pakistan, on Saturday. Reuters

According to an NDMA spokesman, a contingent of eight trucks carrying relief supplies was dispatched to Sialkot and Narowal districts following a request from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab to deliver rations to flood victims as part of ongoing relief and rescue operations in flood-affected areas under directives from the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Sindh’s senior minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said on Saturday that the floodwater is expected to enter Sindh from Punjab on the night of Sept.2 or Sept.3.

He told a news conference that the Sindh government had 192 rescue boats ready, along with 565 private boats and 36 mobile health units.

Memon said upto 1.65 million people could be affected due to the deluge, including 1,657 villages, 167 union councils, and 273,000 families.

A volunteer distribute food among families take shelter in a camp after fleeing from flooded areas following torrential rains on the outskirts of Lahore, Pakistan, on Saturday. AP

He noted that there were a total of 15 districts along the rivers, and added that 551 relief camps have been identified to mobilise in case of any emerging situation.

Detailing the flood levels at Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri barrages, Memon noted that they were at “daily” levels.

He urged the media to contact the Control Room set up by the Sindh government for the latest updates on the flood situation from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) of Sindh and the National DMA.

Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi on Saturday directed officials to implement round-the-clock monitoring of trains and tracks in light of the ongoing flood situation across the country.

Chairing a high-level meeting, the minister reviewed Pakistan Railways’ operational performance and safety protocols.

Commuters wade through flooded road amid heavy rain in Lahore on Saturday. AFP

Officials briefed him on the impact of floods on infrastructure and measures being taken to ensure uninterrupted service.

Abbasi emphasized proactive steps to prevent accidents and called for strict monitoring of train punctuality and cleanliness. He also reviewed station conditions, including waiting areas and basic amenities, underscoring the importance of railways as a vital public service and economic lifeline.

In mid-August, more than 400 Pakistanis were killed in a matter of days by landslides caused by torrential rains on the other side of the country, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, close to Afghanistan and the only province held by the opposition to the federal authorities.

Agencies