Lahore: Authorities in Punjab have issued a high alert for severe urban flooding as relentless monsoon rains are anticipated across the province.

Major cities like Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Gujranwala face a significant risk of inundation, while other districts are also bracing for heavy downpours. This comes amidst a tragic escalation in the national death toll, with the ongoing monsoon season having already claimed 289 lives across Pakistan.

Heavy rainfall is also forecast for Kasur, Sheikhupura, Jhelum, Gujrat, and Sialkot. Additionally, there’s a possibility of increased water flow in the Sutlej River at Ganda Singh point.

Meanwhile, in Layyah, flash floods have already caused significant destruction, submerging dozens of villages and damaging thousands of acres of standing crops.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has reported that the nationwide death toll from the ongoing monsoon rains has tragically risen to 289 individuals. This grim count includes 136 children, 102 men, and 51 women. Among the recent fatalities, two young girls died in Abbottabad after a house roof collapsed due to rain.

The provincial breakdown of these monsoon-related deaths is as follows: Punjab accounts for 158 fatalities, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 64, Sindh 28, Balochistan 20, Gilgit-Baltistan 9, Azad Kashmir 2, and Islamabad 8.