GUJRAT: Authorities have declared a public holiday on Wednesday as flooding worsens in Gujrat and Sialkot districts of Punjab.
Heavy water inflows from India into the Sutlej and Chenab rivers have triggered a flood alert across the province.
The National Disaster Management Authority’s (NDMA) National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) has issued an urgent warning of severe flooding in the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers, calling for the immediate evacuation of residents in vulnerable areas.
NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider said more than 190,000 people have already been evacuated from flood-hit areas of Punjab as rising water levels continue to endanger lives and property.
Gujrat Deputy Commissioner Noor-ul-Ain Qureshi and Sialkot Deputy Commissioner Saba Asghar Ali visited Head Marala to monitor the situation. DC Qureshi confirmed that 20 people trapped under the Shahbazpur Bridge were successfully rescued.
Mobile networks in Gujrat have been disrupted, while internet service remains extremely slow and in some areas completely unavailable.
Meanwhile, following the release of water by India, which has opened all gates of the River Ravi dam, the Pakistan Army has been called in to assist the civil administration.
The rising river levels have created a flood-like situation across Punjab, leading the provincial government to deploy army units in seven districts.