DERA GHAZI KHAN: Water from the flooded Indus River has swept into multiple urban limits, submerging villages and forcing the district administration to issue emergency alerts across southern Punjab.
The floodwaters have surged from Taunsa into DG Khan, while in Jhang, the overflowing Chenab River has inundated more than 10 villages. Expanses of cropland and residential areas have gone underwater, cutting off key road networks. In Rajanpur, the standing crops have suffered heavy destruction.
In Hafizabad, rapid erosion along the Chenab’s banks has swept away hundreds of acres of farmland. Severe flooding in Taunsa Sharif has left entire settlements and agricultural zones submerged, as rescue and relief operations continue on the ground.
At Guddu Barrage in Kashmore, water levels have spiked, prompting officials to declare a medium-level flood in the Indus River.
Meanwhile, in Sukheke and Hafizabad, stagnant rainwater has yet to be drained even after 10 days, stranding several villages and worsening public hardships.
Amid these worsening conditions, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued a high alert, forecasting more heavy rainfall across Punjab until July 31. Authorities warn of landslide threats in Murree and Galiyat, as well as urban flooding in Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, and Sialkot.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has confirmed that eight more lives were lost in the last 24 hours, raising the monsoon season’s nationwide death toll to 279.
Punjab continues to bear the brunt of the crisis, reporting six of the eight new fatalities and all 21 recent injuries. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan reported one death each.
So far, at least 676 people have been injured countrywide since the onset of the monsoon, according to the NDMA.
Damage to property and livelihoods is also mounting rapidly. In just one day, 362 homes were reported damaged, pushing the total to 1,553 houses affected. At least 374 livestock have been lost.
Here is the provincial breakdown of the death and injury toll:
• Punjab: 151 deaths, 536 injuries
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 64 deaths, 80 injuries
• Sindh: 25 deaths, 40 injuries
• Balochistan: 20 deaths, 4 injuries
• Gilgit-Baltistan: 9 deaths, 4 injuries
• Azad Kashmir: 2 deaths, 10 injuries
• Islamabad: 8 deaths, 3 injuries
Disaster response teams are actively engaged in rescue operations, but authorities warn that the situation could worsen with more rain on the horizon. Residents in flood-prone and low-lying areas are urged to take immediate safety precautions.
