Pakistan Floods Kill 883, Flood Warning in Islamabad

Pakistan is facing widespread devastation due to severe flooding. A flood warning has been issued today for the capital city, Islamabad. The Pakistan Meteorological Department has predicted heavy rainfall over the next 12 to 24 hours.

Torrential rains lashing Pakistan since the end of June have caused widespread devastation. These monsoon rains have claimed the lives of 883 people so far, with 1,200 injured. According to Pakistani media reports, two more children died in rain-related incidents late Wednesday night. One death occurred in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), and the other in Islamabad.

Next 12 to 24 hours critical for Pakistan

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned that the ongoing heavy rains in mountainous regions could cause urban flooding in Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued a warning on Wednesday for potential heavy rainfall in several areas of Pakistan over the next 12 to 24 hours. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab provinces have been the hardest hit by the rains. KP has reported 488 deaths and 360 injuries.

172 deaths reported

According to the Pakistani newspaper The Tribune, 58 deaths were confirmed in Sindh, 41 in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB), 38 in PoK, 26 in Balochistan, and 9 in Islamabad on Wednesday. The PMD warned that flood levels in the Sutlej River in Punjab's Ganda Singh Wala area will remain exceptionally high, while a new flood in the Chenab River may reach downstream from Marala in Punjab.

The PMD stated that the water level in the Panjnad River (where the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers meet) is expected to rise between 4 and 5 September, posing a serious threat to thousands of acres of farmland and hundreds of villages. In Guddu, Sindh province, the Indus River is also expected to reach dangerous levels by 6 or 7 September. PMD officials have issued rain warnings for Punjab, KP, PoGB, and PoK.

High risk of landslides

Scattered rainfall is expected in various areas of KP, including Chitral, Dir, Swat, Buner, and Abbottabad. Authorities have warned of flooding in low-lying areas, along with the risk of overflowing rivers and landslides in mountainous regions. According to the PDMA, flooding from the Chenab River has submerged 261 villages in Jhang and at least 24 villages in Muzaffargarh, Punjab. The torrential floodwaters have also destroyed over 9,200 houses, including 4,700 in KP and 2,100 in PoK. Over 6,000 livestock have been swept away. This disaster has damaged approximately 240 bridges and over 670 kilometres of roads across Pakistan.