ISLAMABAD: Twenty people have died in Pakistan’s Punjab this week and more than 435,000 residents have been evacuated as record monsoon floods continue to sweep across the country’s most populous province, a top disaster agency official said on Friday.
The flood emergency comes at the height of the monsoon season, when rivers in South Asia routinely swell but in recent years have become more destructive due to climate change. Punjab, which accounts for more than half of Pakistan’s 240 million people and is considered the country’s breadbasket, has been among the worst hit this week. Officials said the floods were worsened by both torrential rains and excess water released from upstream dams in India.
According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), at least 1,769 villages are inundated, affecting some 1.45 million people. Nationwide, Pakistan’s monsoon death toll since June has climbed past 820.
Speaking to reporters on Friday morning, PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said water levels in Lahore, the provincial capital, had steadied and begun to recede after reaching levels unseen since 1988.
“By the grace of Allah, all destruction was avoided due to timely response and public cooperation,” he said, adding that rescue calls in the city had now tapered off.
