At least 16 people were killed in rain-related incidents over the past 24 hours across the country, as a new spell of monsoon rains began on Sunday.
The dam on the Indian side of the Ravi river was 90% full while the dam on the Sutlej river was 70% full, interim Punjab Information Minister Amir Mir told a press conference in Lahore. He warned of floods in both rivers in case of further rain.
Authorities have warned of landslides, urban flooding and high river flows during the spell which is expected to last till Wednesday.
Mir added that 22,000 cusecs of water were flowing through Shahdara in Lahore. He feared that the area of Shahdara might also submerge if there was 600mm of rain in India. The affected population would be evacuated immediately, he said.
The rains arrive as a new monsoon system originating in the Bay of Bengal enters the country.
Two girls were killed and a woman was injured when a house wall collapsed due to a landslide after torrential rains wreaked havoc in Allai Tehsil of Battagram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Locals pulled out the bodies and the injured from the debris. The wounded have been shifted to the hospital.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government declared an emergency in Upper and Lower Chitral on Sunday, after the district administration sounded the alarm. The emergency will stay in effect till August 15.
Provincial Disaster Management Authority said that four people had been killed across the province, while one was injured.
Deaths were reported in Peshawar, Mansehra, Balakot, Kaghan and other adjoining areas.
The PDMA also said that a total of seven houses were completely destroyed in the rains while 67 were partially damaged.
Punjab’s PDMA said that more rains were expected across the province from July 23 to 29.
Authorities said that Lahore, Rawalpindi, Murre, Attock, Chakwal and Jhelum could receive thunderstorms.
PDMA also said that rivers Ravi and Chenab could be in ‘high-level flood’ as the water level rises in the next 48 hours. Dams are also expected to be filled to full capacity.
Authorities have instructed rescue and relief teams to stay prepared to deal with any calamity.
At least three lives were lost due to electrocution during rain in Pakpattan. A man died while bathing near the vegetable market, a person also died in a nearby village, and a two-year-old girl died after touching an electric wire in Secunderabad.
Parts of Karachi received light rainfall on Saturday night. Met Office said heavier rains could be seen in the city on Sunday.
Hyderabad received heavy rainfall that helped alleviate the July heat. However, with the rain came urban flooding and power outages, making life difficult for citizens.
Similar scenes were seen in Sukkur, where electricity disappeared with the first drop of rain. However, residents did get respite from the heat.
Heavy rains were reported in different areas of Karachi. The meteorological department has predicted heavy rain in the city on Sunday and Monday. There are fears that the city would experience a urban flooding-like situation in the low-lying areas.
At least four people were killed and one injured due to landsliding on Shahrah-e-Baltistan in Skardu on Sunday.
The landslide happened in Shengus on Gilgit-Skaru Road. A vehicle with multiple passengers in it was caught up in the sliding rocks.
As a result, four people from the same family were killed while another was injured.
Police said that rescue efforts are being hampered by the rain and disruptions in the communications networks.
Elsewhere in the country at least seven other people have been killed in rain-related mishaps.
A family was forced to carry the body of their loved one on their shoulders after roads were blocked near Pinjra Pull in Sibi, Balochistan on Sunday following a heavy downpour last night.
The footage of the event shows a body placed inside an Edhi ambulance while the road is blocked with a long queue of heavy vehicles stuck on the submerged road.
The family then carried the body on their shoulders as the ambulance could not pass through the submerged blocked road.
Meanwhile, security forces were conducting rescue and relief operations in Swat, Dir, and Chitral after heavy rains affected the communication system.
The communication system in the nearby areas was affected after the water level in Panjkora river. Shringal, Kumrat Road in Tehsil Kalkot was badly affected due to landslides. While the bridge under construction in the Shamsi Khan area was damaged.
Security forces are mobilised with heavy machinery to maintain traffic in the area after damage to affected roads and bridges, said a statement.
Due to heavy rains in Chitral, the main bridge between Chitral and Bonni was washed away. The security forces have created an alternate route for traffic.
The rescue operation of the security forces was also going on in the Shangla area of Swat and the affected roads and communication systems were being restored in various areas.
Along with this, the security forces are also providing food and water to the people in the affected areas.
