NEW DELHI (AP) – Intense rains have resulted in the tragic loss of at least 34 lives as they affected regions of Pakistan and India, leading to flash floods and landslides in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Reports confirm that nearly 100 individuals have died due to heavy downpours and flooding throughout August, prompting forecasters to warn of continued rainfall across the affected areas this week.
In Pakistan, over 210,000 people have been displaced as torrential rains caused significant rivers to swell, resulting in major flooding. The shrine of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion, located near the Indian border in Narowal district, has also been submerged. The situation has necessitated urgent calls for military assistance in rescue and relief operations from authorities in Punjab province.
In the Jammu region of Indian-controlled Kashmir, a landslide occurred on a well-trodden Hindu pilgrimage route late Tuesday, burying several pilgrims who were trekking to one of the most visited temples in northern India. Disaster management official Mohammed Irshad reported that bodies of some pilgrims were recovered from the debris, and at least 18 others were injured and taken to hospitals. The search for those still missing continues, and pilgrimages to the shrine have been suspended.
Rescue efforts are underway in Pakistan, with ongoing operations to provide relief supplies to flood-affected areas. Lt. Gen. Inam Haider, chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority in Pakistan, stated that two soldiers has lost their lives while aiding flood victims. Meanwhile, authorities carried out a controlled breach of a protective embankment on the Chenab River to save a barrage from collapsing under extreme flood pressure. This action diverted water into nearby villages, forcing hundreds of residents to take refuge on higher ground.
Overnight, rescuers evacuated more than 20,000 individuals from the outskirts of Lahore, the second-largest city in Pakistan, as the Ravi River continued rising. Ifran Ali Kathia, director-general of the Punjab Disaster Management Authority, indicated that mass evacuations commenced earlier this week across six districts following intense rainfall and the release of water from overflowing dams in neighboring India. The rising floodwaters in the Ravi, Chenab, and Sutlej rivers have inundated numerous villages in districts such as Kasur, Okara, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Vehari, and Sialkot.
In a continuing effort to locate missing persons, rescuers with sniffer dogs are searching for more than 150 individuals reported missing this month after flooding led to over 300 fatalities in three villages in northwestern Buner district, Pakistan. Since late June, floods have claimed more than 800 lives nationwide. Scientists attribute the increase in flooding and monsoon rains in South Asia to climate change, warning that the upcoming monsoon season could be 22% more intense compared to previous years.
India has formally alerted Pakistan about the risk of potential cross-border flooding due to the heavy monsoon rains, marking a rare instance of official communication between the two nuclear-armed nations in several months. The dire weather conditions, coupled with the potential for a repeat of the catastrophic flooding disaster that affected a third of Pakistan in 2022, bring immense concern for the safety and well-being of residents in both countries.
