Lahore, Sep 7 Widespread flooding in Pakistan continues to devastate Punjab, affecting over 4,100 villages across 25 districts and leaving at least 56 people dead since August 26, local media reported, citing the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) data.
PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia told reporters that an estimated 41 million people have been impacted by the disaster.
Meanwhile, to cope with the massive displacement, Kathia said, authorities have set up 425 relief camps and tent cities across affected areas, offering temporary shelter and food, reports leading Pakistani daily Dawn.
He further revealed that more than 500 medical camps are operational, where nearly 175,000 patients have been treated for injuries, infections, and waterborne diseases.
Rescue teams have so far evacuated over 20 million people to safer locations. The DG added that more than 15 million heads of cattle have been moved to secure areas to safeguard livelihoods in Punjab’s agrarian belt.
Earlier, the PDMA said that the ongoing flood in Punjab has affected over 4.2 million people and inundated more than 4100 villages along the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers.
In Multan, Deputy Commissioner Wasim Hamid Sindhu stated that the district administration had devised a comprehensive action plan to tackle the expected surge from Head Trimmu.
While water levels at Head Muhammadwala and Shershah Flood Bund on the Chenab River have begun to recede, reducing strain on protective dykes, officials warn that fresh inflows could again raise river levels.
Since the onset of the monsoon season on June 26, torrential rains and floods have killed over 900 people and injured over 1000 nationwide, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
According to local media reports, the total people rescued and relocated to safe spots so far is 20,073,048, while 15,022,452 cattle have been taken to safety.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, urging residents of low-lying areas to remain cautious and cooperate with rescue teams.
Fresh warnings have been issued for further rainfall, while rescue teams remain on alert and damage assessments are underway in the affected regions.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor