Devastating Floods in Pakistan's Punjab: 200,000 Evacuated

Tue Sep 23 2025 10:50:05 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A severe flooding crisis has led to the evacuation of around 200,000 people in Punjab, Pakistan, as rainfall breaks records, causing extensive damage and risking lives.

In the wake of unprecedented flooding across Punjab, Pakistan, approximately 200,000 residents have been evacuated. Rescuers are utilizing boats to carry families to safety as high rainfall from the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers continues. With warnings that dam releases from India are contributing to the flooding, emergency services and the army have been deployed to assist in relief efforts. The National Administration of Disaster Management has issued cautions for residents to avoid flood-prone areas, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif assures full government support in managing the crisis.

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 urban areas like Gujarat, Sialkot, and Lahore.

Sialkot has seen more rainfall in 24 hours than the highest record in the past 49 years, which has left cars, homes, and buildings submerged, leading to many residents being stranded.

Rescuers have been going door-to-door in villages, relocating residents and their livestock by boat. These efforts have saved more than 32,000 individuals trapped by floodwaters.

Some residents, however, have chosen to remain, citing concerns about leaving their properties behind in a country where over 40% live below the poverty line.

Warning of impending dangers, the NDMA has highlighted the need for heightened vigilance as the monsoon continues to wreak havoc across the region.