Pakistan’s Punjab province is bracing for more heavy rain as the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issues an urgent alert for several districts. Officials warn that downpours could spark flash floods in local streams and nullahs, putting communities at risk.
A PDMA spokesperson says westerly winds blowing into northern Punjab will trigger widespread rainfall starting Thursday night and lasting until October 7. This comes amid ongoing devastation from relentless rains and floods that have battered the country since late June.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reports a heartbreaking toll: at least 1,006 people have lost their lives in Pakistan’s floods, including 275 children, 568 men, and 163 women. Another 1,063 people suffered injuries, with 321 children, 450 men, and 292 women among the victims. These flash floods have ripped through homes, farmlands, and lives across the nation.
Breaking it down by region, Punjab has seen 304 deaths—110 children, 143 men, and 51 women. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the number rises to 504, including 90 children, 338 men, and 76 women. Sindh reports 80 fatalities (35 children, 35 men, 10 women), while Balochistan has recorded 30 deaths (20 children, six men, four women).
The floods have also hit hard in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan, claiming 41 lives (six children, 26 men, nine women), and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir with 38 deaths (nine children, 17 men, 12 women). Even the capital, Islamabad, has suffered nine losses, including five children, three men, and one woman, according to The Express Tribune.
Injuries paint a similar picture of widespread suffering. Punjab tops the list with 661 people hurt—200 children, 258 men, and 203 women—showing how floods hit vulnerable groups hardest. KP saw 218 injuries (70 children, 99 men, 49 women), Sindh 87 (39 children, 29 men, 19 women), and Balochistan five (two children, two men, one woman).
In Punjab’s hardest-hit areas, over 200 villages in districts like Multan, Lodhran, and Bahawalpur remain underwater after breaches in the Sutlej River embankment. For the past 20 days, stagnant floodwater has wrecked homes, destroyed crops, and left thousands without shelter.
“Our homes are destroyed; our crops are gone,” said Afzal Baloch, a resident quoted in Dawn. “We have been patient for 20 days, but now we need this water to be drained so we can even begin to think about rebuilding our lives.” As new rains loom, authorities urge residents to stay alert and prepare for potential evacuations in flood-prone zones.
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