- Rescue 1122 evacuates 300 in Peshawar; child killed in house collapse amid torrential rains
- Lightning strikes, roof collapses claim lives in Kahna, Anarkali and Bedian Road
- WASA reports over 100 mm of rain in multiple areas, power outages worsen misery
PESHAWAR/LAHORE:Urban flooding paralyzed parts of Peshawar and Lahore on Saturday as a fresh spell of monsoon rains battered Pakistan, while eastern Punjab continued to grapple with high floods in three major rivers flowing downstream toward Sindh, officials said.
The flooding began in Punjab on Monday after India released water into the Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers, submerging farmlands, sweeping away livestock, and affecting over one million people. The three-river crisis hit as Pakistan was already reeling from weeks of torrential rains and cloudbursts since late June that have killed around 830 people nationwide—more than half of them after Aug. 15, when flash floods and hill torrents in the north and northwest swept away homes and residents.
In Peshawar, officials said heavy overnight rains inundated low-lying neighborhoods on Friday, triggering large-scale relief operations. Rescue 1122 evacuated about 300 people with the help of 280 personnel, rubber boats, rescue vans, and ambulances.
“A comprehensive relief operation is underway across rain-impacted areas of the city,” Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmad Faizi said, identifying Nasir Bagh Road, Warsak Road, and Budhni as the hardest-hit areas.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur directed the district administration, PDMA, and Rescue 1122 to remain in affected areas until operations conclude. He also ordered food and temporary shelters for displaced families and instructed authorities to remain on constant alert in view of further urban flooding.
Officials confirmed that one child was killed in Peshawar when a house roof collapsed, while three others were injured.
Lahore’s Major Thoroughfares of Inundated
The heaviest spell of monsoon rains this season battered Lahore on Saturday, leaving at least six people dead, paralyzing city life, and overwhelming urban infrastructure.
Authorities confirmed widespread damage as major roads went under water, roofs collapsed, and lightning strikes wreaked havoc. Traffic came to a halt across key arteries, while power outages and waterlogging deepened residents’ misery.
Two people were killed and two others injured in Lahore’s Kahna area after a lightning strike, officials said. In Old Anarkali, the roof of a mud house collapsed, killing one man after hours-long efforts by Urban Search and Rescue teams to retrieve his body.
Three more lives were lost on Bedian Road, where a house roof caved in, leaving four others injured. Rescue teams shifted the injured to nearby hospitals.
The rains also crippled Lahore’s infrastructure, flooding major roads including Johar Town, Wapda Town, and Canal Road, where vehicles were stranded and traffic gridlocked for hours. Many neighborhoods were plunged into darkness as power supply was disrupted.
The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) reported that Nishtar Town, Chowk Nakhda, and Tajpura received the heaviest downpour, crossing 100 mm in several areas.
The PMD warned that the monsoon spell will persist for another 24 hours, with intermittent heavy rains expected, raising fears of further flooding in low-lying parts of the city.
