Narowal, Pakistan — Rescuers in boats rushed to save stranded families across Punjab province on Thursday after three major rivers — Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab — overflowed due to heavy rains and water release from dams in neighboring India.
The floods have displaced nearly 250,000 people and affected more than 1.2 million, wiping out crops, submerging businesses, and leaving many unable to flee their homes. At least 15 people were killed in Gujranwala district and nearby villages a day earlier, police confirmed.
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Officials said 1,432 villages have been inundated, while nearly 700 relief camps and 265 medical centers have been set up. Senior Punjab minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said essential supplies are being delivered, but conditions remain dire.
Since late June, more than 800 people have lost their lives in flood-related incidents across Pakistan. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, visiting affected areas, warned that Pakistan ranks among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations. “This trend will continue in the coming years. It now depends on us how we confront this challenge,” he said, announcing new water storage projects to better control future flooding.
Meanwhile, in Indian-controlled Kashmir’s Jammu region, the heaviest August rains in decades have unleashed flash floods and landslides, disrupting Hindu pilgrimage routes and submerging homes. At least 115 people have been killed and thousands evacuated as roads and bridges suffered extensive damage.
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