Rescuers backed by Pakistan’s military are racing to evacuate thousands of people from submerged villages near Jalalpur Pirwala in eastern Punjab, after floodwaters rose above the official danger mark. Relief officials said the disaster has already affected 142,000 people in the district, with many families forced to seek shelter in relief camps or sleep on embankments after losing their homes.
Relief Commissioner Nabil Javed confirmed that evacuation efforts continued overnight, with boats ferrying stranded residents to safety. Witnesses described crews pulling people from rooftops and trees as entire settlements disappeared underwater.
Since 23 August, the flooding has devastated nearly 4,000 villages across Punjab province, affecting more than 4.2 million people and displacing 2.1 million. At least 68 people have died, according to the Punjab Disaster Management Authority. Officials attributed the scale of the crisis to heavier-than-normal monsoon rains combined with repeated releases of water from overflowing Indian dams upstream.
Authorities are working to reinforce embankments to prevent further breaches, though conditions remain precarious. Relief agencies warn that the scale of displacement will put immense pressure on humanitarian resources, particularly food, shelter, and healthcare, in one of the worst flood emergencies to hit the region in recent years.
–Input WAM
