The arrival of venomous snakes prompted the authorities to evacuate the flood victims to safer areas from Baqir Pur area of Bahalpur on Tuesday after flood water entered villages and riverine areas due to high flow in Sutlej river.

Rescue officials said that poisonous snakes crawled into the houses of the flood victims and on the trees in nearby areas posing significant risks to residents.

They went on to add that efforts are underway to evacuate the residents to safer areas. On one instance, the residents killed a 7 feet poisonous snake after it crawled in to a residential area.

The Sutlej river has been in a high-flood state for the past many weeks owing to excessive water after India released water following heavy rains in its northern states.

The high water flow submerged Bahawalpur suburbs after several private protective dykes were breached.

On Sunday, the Laanda embankment on Empress Bridge of Sutlej river broke out in Bahawalpur as flood water entered dozens of nearby villages besides devastating standing crops on thousands of acres of land, APP reported.

The official sources in the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said that inflow of water at Empress Bridge Bahawalpur on Sutlej river was over 115,000 cusec in morning and added that water level would increase as more water has been released by India into Sutlej river.

The flood water entered in Mauza Waslaan, Baqirpur, Salhaan, Lal De Goth and others. The people were forced to immediately flee to safer areas besides evacuating their cattle. The flood water has also devasated standing crops on thousands of acres of land. It is pertinent to mention here that Laanda embankment is also called as Zamindara embankment.

Deputy Commissioner Bahawalpur, Zaheer Anwar Jappa said that the situation was in control and added that rescue and relief operation was underway in the affected areas. He said that only Zamindara embankment was broken out which affected standing crops in few rural areas.

District Emergency Officer, Punjab Emergency Department, Rescue 1122 Bahawalpur, Dr Baqir Hussain said that their teams were engaged in rescue and relief operation in the affected areas round the clock. He said that the affected people had been provided with all necessary relief.