Half a million people flee their homes in Punjab to escape flooding

Villagers wade through a flooded area, in Tiba Gheal village, in Jhang district

Rivers are swelling to dangerous levels in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province, forcing more than half a million people to flee their homes in the past 24 hours, officials said yesterday.

The latest evacuations bring the total number of people displaced since last month to 1.8 million, according to Punjab Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed. He said mass evacuations were still ongoing in the flood-hit Muzaffargarh district and other areas.

Muzaffargarh and Multan are among the worst-hit areas in the province, where floods have inundated 3,900 villages since the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers burst their banks two weeks ago, Javed said.

In Muzaffargarh, Narowal and Kasur the government has erected tents for displaced families.

People who fled their homes in Muzaffargarh described rushing to safety after urgent flood warnings.

Ghulam Abbas, 54, who fled his village with his family, said yesterday that mosque loudspeakers announced a massive flood surge was on its way, urging everyone to leave as soon as possible.

“Those who thought the waters wouldn’t reach them are now being rescued by boat,” Abbas said, adding that his home was submerged overnight.

Zainab Akhtar, 33, said she lost her home in the devastating 2010 floods. “Now it has happened again,” she said as she sat inside a government-donated tent with her family.

Akhtar said she has received some food from charities and the government, but added that many survivors were relying on help from relatives.

In Kasur, people said they received some help from the government, and charities arranged food for them. ASIM TANVEER, MUZAFFARGARH, MDT/AP