Death toll in flood related incidents rises to 78 in Pak’s Punjab

Lahore, Sep 11 (PTI) The Death toll in flood-related incidents in Pakistan's Punjab province has risen to 78 since August 23, a provincial government minister said on Thursday.    The government stated that over the last three days, it has rescued more than 16,000 people trapped in flood-affected areas in southern Punjab.  "Since the start of floods in Punjab on August 23, 78 people lost their lives, 4.2 million people have been impacted/displaced," Punjab Minister for Information Azma Bokhari told a press conference here on Thursday.  She further stated that as many as 2.2 million people and 1.7 million livestock have been relocated to safer areas, and 4,500 villages in the province are submerged.    "Just in the last three days, over 16,000 people were rescued from South Punjab, while 490 medical camps and 1,412 veterinary camps have been established.  Medicines, clean water, and food supplies are being ensured, with special focus on pregnant women, children, and the elderly," she said.  According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), South Punjab is still facing a devastating flood crisis, particularly in the Sutlej River.

  "All barrages in south Punjab on the Sutlej, Chenab and Ravi rivers are flowing at extremely dangerous levels, submerging vast swathes of low-lying areas and posing a severe threat to urban centres, such as Jalalpur, Alipur and Rahim Yar Khan tehsils", it said. PTI MZ RD RD RD