ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Pakistan on Friday warned of new flood peaks on the Chenab and Indus rivers and possible urban flooding in Sindh, as the monsoon continued to batter Punjab’s agricultural heartland and threaten millions downstream.
Punjab, home to half of Pakistan’s 240 million people and most of its wheat and rice production, has been hit hardest by this year’s monsoon. Provincial officials said 49 people have died in the current Ravi–Sutlej–Chenab flood spell, while the seasonal monsoon death toll for Punjab since mid-June has reached 183.
Nationwide, flooding and rain-related incidents have killed 884 people since June 26 when the monsoon season started, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.
“A total of 3,892,000 people were affected due to the flood situation,” Punjab Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed said in a statement, adding that 3,900 villages had been inundated.
“Authorities have relocated over 1.8 million people to safer places, while 415 relief camps and 466 medical camps have been established.”
