Mass evacuations in Pakistan's flooded Punjab hit 300,000 in 48 hours

"Nearly 300,000 people have been evacuated in the past 48 hours from flood-hit areas of Pakistan's Punjab province following the latest flood alerts by India, officials have said, bringing the total number of people displaced since last month to 1.3 million. A new flood alert was shared with Pakistan by neighbouring India through diplomatic channels early on Wednesday, said Arfan Ali Kathia, director-general of Punjab's Provincial Disaster Management Authority."

"Floodwaters have submerged dozens of villages in Punjab's Muzaffargarh district, after earlier inundating Narowal and Sialkot, both near the border with India. Authorities are also struggling to divert overflowing rivers onto farmlands to protect major cities, as part of one of the largest rescue and relief operations in the history of Punjab, which straddles eastern Pakistan and northwestern India. The flood alert on Wednesday was the second in 24 hours following heavy rains and water releases from dams in India."

"Thousands of rescuers using boats are taking part in the relief and rescue operations, while the military has also been deployed to transport people and animals from inundated villages, said Kathia. Rescuers are also using drones to find people stranded on rooftops in the flood-hit areas. Kathia said more than 3.3 million people across 33,000 villages in the province have been affected."

India released water from overflowing dams into low-lying border regions, prompting Pakistan to begin evacuations last month. Nearly 300,000 people were evacuated in the past 48 hours from flood-hit areas of Pakistan's Punjab province, bringing total displacements since last month to 1.3 million. Floodwaters submerged dozens of villages in Muzaffargarh after earlier inundating Narowal and Sialkot near the border. Authorities are diverting overflowing rivers onto farmlands to protect cities while conducting one of the largest rescue and relief operations in the province. Thousands of rescuers using boats, deployed military transport and drones are evacuating people and animals. More than 3.3 million people across 33,000 villages have been affected, with damage assessments and compensation for lost homes and crops planned; landslides and flooding in India's Punjab killed at least 30 people and nearly 20,000 were evacuated since August 1.

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