Some 200,000 people have been evacuated as floods devastate parts of Pakistan's Punjab province. Rescuers carried residents to safety in boats after disaster authorities warned of exceptionally high floods along the Ravi, Sutlej and Chenab rivers. Several districts called in the army to help. It comes after Pakistani officials said India had warned it would release water from major dams upstream, causing heavy flooding in parts of what is Pakistan's most populous province.
Both countries have suffered intense rainfall in recent weeks, with monsoon rains killing more than 800 people in Pakistan since June. The country's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has warned people in affected areas to stay away from rivers, drains and low-lying zones.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the federal government would fully cooperate with regional authorities to avert the risk of flooding, particularly in the urban areas of Gujarat, Sialkot, and Lahore. Sialkot has seen more rainfall in 24 hours than the highest record in the past 49 years, according to Pakistan's chief meteorologists. This has left cars, homes and buildings submerged.
Many of the city's residents are stranded, the federal planning minister has told the BBC. Rescuers have been going door-to-door in villages, relocating residents and their livestock by boat. These boats have saved more than 32,000 people who were trapped by floodwater, citing local officials. The BBC joined rescuers as they evacuated hundreds of people from one village.
Floods are ruinous in a country where over 40% of the population lives below the poverty line. People are hesitant to evacuate due to the dire economic implications, preferring to risk their lives to protect their homes and belongings. They face a difficult choice between safety and financial loss.
Both countries have suffered intense rainfall in recent weeks, with monsoon rains killing more than 800 people in Pakistan since June. The country's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has warned people in affected areas to stay away from rivers, drains and low-lying zones.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the federal government would fully cooperate with regional authorities to avert the risk of flooding, particularly in the urban areas of Gujarat, Sialkot, and Lahore. Sialkot has seen more rainfall in 24 hours than the highest record in the past 49 years, according to Pakistan's chief meteorologists. This has left cars, homes and buildings submerged.
Many of the city's residents are stranded, the federal planning minister has told the BBC. Rescuers have been going door-to-door in villages, relocating residents and their livestock by boat. These boats have saved more than 32,000 people who were trapped by floodwater, citing local officials. The BBC joined rescuers as they evacuated hundreds of people from one village.
Floods are ruinous in a country where over 40% of the population lives below the poverty line. People are hesitant to evacuate due to the dire economic implications, preferring to risk their lives to protect their homes and belongings. They face a difficult choice between safety and financial loss.
