• Indus, Chenab waters will likely rise over next 24 hours
• Tarbela, Mangla reservoirs near maximum conservation levels
• NDMA says 788 lives lost to rains, floods over two months
PESHAWAR: At least 13 people were killed and 52 others injured in rain-related incidents as heavy downpours lashed several districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the weekend.
According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the death toll from floods and rains in the province has risen to 409 since Aug 15, with 251 people injured.
The PDMA report said the victims included 305 men, 55 women and 49 children. Among the injured were 183 men, 38 women and 30 children. Rains and floods have also destroyed 578 houses and partially damaged 2,954 across the province.
In Dera Ismail Khan, eight people were killed and 48 were injured after torrential rains and strong winds wreaked havoc on Saturday night. Three children lost their lives in Lower Dir when a house collapsed, while one fatality was reported in Mardan and another in Upper Kohistan.
A severe rainstorm caused widespread damage, crippling the power supply and destroying homes, solar panels and public infrastructure. Wind speeds reached up to 100 km/h, uprooting trees, toppling poles and collapsing walls and roofs. The district plunged into darkness after feeders tripped and the power system collapsed.
Officials confirmed that five of the deceased belonged to Dera tehsil and three to Paharpur tehsil. In Maryali, a wall of Jamiatul Madina collapsed, destroying a solar plant but causing no casualties.
Hospitals declared emergencies to treat the injured, while Dera Commissioner Zafarul Islam Khattak urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel during stormy weather. He directed that all available resources be deployed to provide medical assistance.
Punjab on high alert
The Punjab government is on high alert as heavy monsoon rains continue to swell rivers across the province. An official flood alert from India reported a “high flood” level in the Tawi River at Jammu on Aug 24, prompting emergency measures downstream.
Secretary of the Department of Emergency Services Dr Rizwan Naseer made an emergency visit to Sialkot to inspect flood defences at the Head Marala Barrage and the Marala Flood Control Room. Rescue operations are underway, with more than 21,000 people already evacuated from vulnerable areas.
The Chenab River basin is a particular point of concern, with key sites like Marala, Khanki, and Qadirabad showing significant inflows. While these locations are currently within normal limits, the rising inflows at Khanki and the substantial water volumes pose a latent threat for the next 48 hours.
High flood at Indus, Chenab
Meanwhile, the Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) warned on Sunday that the Chenab and Indus rivers are likely to reach high flood levels within 24 hours, while the Sutlej River at Ganda Singh Wala will remain in high flood for the next few days, subject to water releases from India.
Flash floods are expected in the nullahs of Dera Ghazi Khan and northeastern Balochistan, while medium to high flows are predicted in nullahs linked to the Ravi and Chenab. Urban flooding is forecast for Lahore, Gujranwala and Rawalpindi in the next two days.
Heavy rainfall is expected in upper Punjab, particularly over the Sutlej, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum catchments, from Aug 25 to 27. The Indus River is already in high flood at Guddu and medium flood at Sukkur, while the River Sutlej is in medium flood at Ganda Singh Wala.
Water levels at Tarbela and Mangla reservoirs are nearing their maximum conservation limits.
In Vehari district, floodwaters from the Sutlej River worsened after India released water, submerging rural localities. Authorities have established three tent villages in Jam Laira, Farooqabad and Sahooka to house the displaced.
According to an official handout, Deputy Commissioner Imrana Tauqeer said the top priority was shifting affected people to safer locations. So far, 371 residents and 26 cattle have been moved. Seven flooded settlements have been evacuated.
In Sahiwal and adjacent districts, a medium-level flood along the Sutlej River has displaced more than 1,450 people and 450 livestock in the past 48 hours. Over 40 kilometres of the river belt from Pir Ghani to Irazi Bali Dilawar is underwater.
Rescue teams have deployed dozens of boats and over 100 personnel to evacuate stranded villagers in Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar and Okara. Officials warned that water discharge levels at Herikey and Ganda Singh Wala exceeded 126,000 cusecs.
Standing crops across thousands of acres have been destroyed. Locals have demanded urgent medical aid, vaccination for livestock and measures against waterborne diseases.
Former Punjab chief minister Manzoor Ahmad Khan Wattoo urged the government to declare the affected districts as calamity-hit areas. He criticised India’s release of floodwaters and described it as “water terrorism”.
In Narowal, Rescue 1122 evacuated 30 people, including women, after a sudden flood surge in Nala Auj, which merges into the Ravi River at Shakargarh. The surge submerged hundreds of acres of farmland and damaged protective embankments.
Floodwaters also entered homes and livestock enclosures in nearby villages. District officials said Section 144 has been imposed to ban bathing in rivers and drains after three villagers went missing in Nala Dek.
Nationwide toll
Since June 26, torrential rains and floods have claimed 788 lives, injured 1,018 people, damaged 6,630 houses and killed 5,548 livestock across the country, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The deceased included 200 children, 471 men and 117 women.
Punjab recorded 165 deaths, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 469, Sindh 51, Balochistan 24, Gilgit-Baltistan 45, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 23, and Islamabad eight.
The injured included 279 children, 493 men and 246 women. Punjab reported the highest number of injuries at 584, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (285), Sindh (71), Gilgit-Baltistan (42), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (28), Balochistan (five), and Islamabad (three). The NDMA said 25,644 individuals have been rescued in 512 operations nationwide as part of a coordinated response.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded the highest number of rescues, with 14,317 people evacuated in 211 operations. Punjab followed with 9,211 rescues conducted across 245 operations.
In Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 940 individuals were rescued in 18 operations, while Gilgit-Baltistan saw 1,027 evacuations in 25 operations. Sindh reported 95 rescues in five operations, Balochistan 19 in four, and Islamabad 35 in four operations.
The National Disaster Management Authority said that in collaboration with the Pakistan Army and partners, it has distributed over 83,649 relief items to flood-affected communities.
Key supplies include tents, blankets, hygiene kits, ration bags, food packs, and drinking water. Additional support, such as solar panels, de-watering pumps, and generators, has been provided to aid recovery efforts.
Widespread flooding has caused extensive damage across the country, affecting at least 6,630 homes, of which 1,562 were destroyed while 5,068 sustained partial damage.
The National Disaster Management Authority has set up 564 relief and medical camps across the country. Of these, 45 medical camps have provided treatment to 3,227 individuals, while 519 relief camps have extended shelter and essential services to 29,311 people.
Mohammad Ashfaq in Peshawar, Imran Gabol in Lahore, Majeed Gill in Bahawalpur, Shafiq Butt in Sahiwal, and Abid Mahmood in Narowal also contributed to this report
With input from APP.
Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2025