Displaced families start to return home after fatal floods


DISPLACED families have begun returning home as floodwaters significantly receded across much of eastern Punjab province, where swollen rivers displaced more than 2.5 million people and killed about 100 during weeks of monsoon deluges, officials said.

Photos and videos posted on social media showed lush fields that once swayed with crops reduced to sand and silt. Returning residents said they will have to replant while rebuilding their homes.

Floodwater levels are decreasing at Panjnad, where the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers all converge before flowing into the Indus, said Irfan Ali Kathia, the authority’s director general.

Rescue and relief operations in some districts are ongoing, officials said.

More than 4,500 villages in Punjab were inundated during weeks of torrential rains and repeated water releases from overflowing dams in neighbouring India, according to the Punjab Disaster Management Authority.

The flow of water in the Ravi and Chenab rivers has returned to normal and levels on the Sutlej river is falling, the agency said.

India shared at least six flood alerts with Pakistan in recent weeks and the water releases swelled rivers in Punjab, causing significant damage, according to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority.

The agency directed returning residents to follow instructions from local administrators so they can receive government assistance or stay in camps if their villages remain unsafe.

The floodwaters are moving south toward Pakistan’s Sindh province, which bore the brunt of Pakistan’s catastrophic 2022 floods that killed more than 1,700 people nationwide. — AP

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Aseanplus News

Thailand weighs tourist fee and extra insurance for risky activities
Amos Yee handed four charges for allegedly threatening racial harmony, supporting child sex
China renews scrutiny of military procurement with call for tips
Australian Indigenous group appeals compensation ruling over mining on native land
Technology, innovation essential to enhancing food security, says Brunei minister
Malaysia, T�rkiye launch formal platform to boost defence ties
Asian stocks hesitant before Nvidia, oil slips on Hormuz hopes
Japan to support alternative Mideast oil pipelines: media
S. Korea says Russian military planes entered its air defence zone
Laos railway police beef up security

Others Also Read