Over 100 dead as Punjab battles worst flood in history

BAHAWALPUR. The death toll from flood-related incidents in Punjab has crossed 100, officials confirmed on Saturday.

Director General of Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab, Irfan Ali Kathia, while addressing the media at the Commissioner’s Office, said that the province is facing the worst flood in its history, with nearly 5,000 villages affected.

He added that three rivers in Punjab are simultaneously experiencing high-level flooding. “Unfortunately, the situation has deteriorated in Jalalpur Pirwala and surrounding areas,” Kathia noted, highlighting the scale of the disaster.

He said that 101 people were killed in Punjab during the floods while 483 relief campuses are currently providing services for flood victims.

DG PDMA Punjab has said that the rescue operation in Punjab was conducted during the flood, 2 million cattle were shifted to safer places in Punjab.

Earlier, floodwaters breached two protective embankments in Punjab’s Lodhran district, inundating residential areas and prompting drone-assisted rescue operations to save stranded residents.

In Bahawalpur, rural areas have also been severely affected, with more than 100 villages across four tehsils submerged under floodwaters. Relief operations are underway as authorities strive to reach isolated communities.

According to official reports, the recent floods across Punjab have impacted over 4,500 villages, leaving widespread destruction in their wake.