At least 20 dead, 1.5m affected as Pakistan's Punjab reels from ‘worst flood in decades’

Punjab (Pakistan), DAWN, Aug 29: Pakistan's Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Irfan Ali Kathia has said that floods in Punjab have claimed the lives of at least 20 people, mostly in drowning-related incidents.

Addressing the media, Kathia said that “Most of the deaths occurred due to drowning and were reported mostly in Gujranwala division,“ adding that no loss of life was reported due to any negligence in rescue services.

He announced that the Punjab government will give one million to each victim’s family as compensation.

Noting the magnitude of the situation, Kathia said that we made every possible effort to rescue people, whether via helicopters or boats.

The Punjab government has launched one of its largest evacuation operations in recent years, as floodwaters affected over 1.46 million people across the province, with the Chenab River expected to swell to dangerous levels at Head Trimmu.

Extremely high floods in the Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab rivers have also resulted in the loss of 17 lives.

The province is battling its worst flooding in four decades, which has caused havoc in hundreds of villages and submerged vital grain crops.