Rains claim 135 lives, 479 injured in Punjab: PDMA

LAHORE: Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has stated that the fourth spell of monsoon rains is likely to begin on Sunday evening.

The PDMA has released a monsoon fact sheet detailing damages caused by the seasonal rains on directives of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

The fact sheet comprises of the figures of rainfall, water bodies situation in the province and the losses.

The fact sheet shared that 135 people have died and 479 have been injured as well as 156 houses damaged this year in Punjab in monsoon rains.

Most fatalities occurred as a result of collapsing roofs, dilapidated structures, and mud houses. Other causes of death included lightning strikes, electrocution, and drowning in rivers while bathing.

The factsheet also provides updated water levels in Punjab’s rivers, barrages, and dams.

Currently, water level has been at 49 percent capacity at Mangla Dam, 79 percent at Tarbela Dam, DG PDMA Irfan Ali Kathia said. The Indus River has been in low-level flood at Tarbela, Chashma, and Taunsa points.

DG PDMA has said that the big cities administrations have been on alert owing to likely flooding in Lahore, Sialkot, Faisalabad and Gujranwala.

PDMA Director General stated that financial assistance is being provided to the families of victims on the instructions of the chief minister.