LAHORE (August 28, 2025): At least 25 people have lost their lives in Punjab as relentless rains and heavy water discharges from India have unleashed devastating floods across the province.
According to official figures, major rivers including the Ravi, Chenab, and Sutlej are in high flood, submerging villages, destroying farmland, and inundating several cities. Authorities describe the disaster as one of the worst flood episodes in Punjab’s history.
The Gujranwala division has been hit hardest, where 15 people were killed. Commissioner Gujranwala reported that five members of a single family perished in Sambrial, while four people died in Gujrat, three in Narowal, two in Hafizabad, and one in Gujranwala city.
In Bahawalnagar, the Sutlej’s raging waters have engulfed hundreds of settlements, leaving a population of nearly 150,000 struggling for survival. Crops, homes, and entire neighborhoods have been swept away. In Arifwala alone, more than 100,000 cusecs of water are flowing through the Sutlej, wiping out farmland and destroying houses.
The Chenab River has flooded dozens of villages in Chiniot, while the Palkho drain in Sialkot and Wazirabad has burst its banks, leaving streets, markets, and neighborhoods under several feet of water. Similar scenes were reported from Pindi Bhattian, where villages remain cut off by rising floodwaters.
Authorities estimate that over 90,000 people have been displaced so far. Many families have lost their homes, belongings, and livestock, forcing hundreds to live under the open sky without food or shelter. With fodder supplies washed away, farmers fear their surviving animals may not endure the crisis.
The combination of torrential rains and swollen rivers has created a humanitarian emergency, with rescue efforts under severe strain. Residents say they have been left with nothing but uncertainty, watching their life’s savings, homes, and fields vanish under the floodwaters.
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