ISLAMABAD, 31 Aug
At least 30 villages were inundated on Sunday in Jhang district of Pakistan's eastern Punjab province amid fears of monsoon-triggered flash floods as water level significantly increased in rivers in the country, local media and officials said.
According to local Urdu TV channel Dunya News, the villages were flooded after high current water spilled out from the River Jhelum, forcing residents to run for safer places along with their animals and leave their crops and houses behind which were severely affected by the floodwater.
A number of villages were also hit by floods in Kacha area of the country's southern Sindh province, said the reports, adding that the province is under a serious threat of heavy floods in the coming days.
The government of Sindh province has already declared its 20 districts as calamity affected area amid heavy rainfalls leading to the deteriorating situation in cities as well as in rural areas.
Monsoon rains have wreaked havoc all across Sindh with its capital Karachi being the most affected city by the urban flooding.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has already issued an alert of urban flooding and waterlogging in lower parts of the country as another spell of monsoon rains started on Sunday.
"A strong rainy system is likely to approach in upper parts of the country that will produce widespread rain with heavy fall at a number of places during Sunday (evening) to Tuesday," said a statement from the PMD, adding that heavy rainfall may generate flash floods and landslides in vulnerable areas from Monday to Tuesday.
According to the data released by the National Disaster Management Authority on Sunday, at least 163 people have died and over 100 others injured along with huge property losses in monsoon rains from June 15 until now.
Personnel of Pakistan's armed forces have already reached in the volatile areas to assist the civil authorities for rescue and rehabilitation operations.
Xinhua
