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Rains wreak havoc in Pakistan's Punjab, over 70 dead in past 48 hours
At least ten more people lost their lives across Pakistan's Punjab on Friday as heavy rains and flash floods took over the province. The death toll in the floods crossed the 100 mark, with more than 70 rain-related deaths occurring in the last 48 hours.
So far, 123 people have been killed and around 462 injured since June 25, as the province received record rainfall. The turbulent weather triggered urban flooding, which inundated residential areas, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said, as per the report by Pakistani news outlet Dawn News.
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71 of the total deaths were reported in the past two days alone. When it comes to the weather, the authorities warned that there will be no respite from torrential rain anytime soon. In light of this, Pakistan's Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued an alert for more downpours from July 20.
Flood alert across Pakistan's Punjab
PMD also issued a separate alert of a high-level flood in the River Indus at Kalabagh and Chashma over the next 24 hours, with authorities being asked to take precautionary measures, Dawn reported. In a briefing on the rescue operation carried out in the flooded areas, PDMA DG Irfan Ali Kathia noted that more than 1,000 people were rescued and were shifted to a safe place in the Pothohar region.
This comprised 398 people from Jhelum, 209 from Chawal and 450 from Rawalpindi. The PMD advisory issued on Friday, directed the provincial and district administrations to take precautionary measures as rains with wind and thundershowers are predicted from July 20.
The advisory also warned of urban flooding and landslides. The Met Office noted that monsoon currents are currently penetrating Sindh and the upper parts of the country and are likely to intensify from July 20. They noted that a fresh westerly wave is likely to approach the country's north on July 21.
More rains predicted in coming days from today (July 18, 2025) pic.twitter.com/sORbV6z2w3 — Pak Met Department محکمہ موسمیات (@pmdgov) July 18, 2025
In Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, rainfall and thunderstorms are expected in Neelum valley, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Poonch, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber, Mirpur, Diamer, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche, Shigar from July 20 to 26. In Balochistan, similar weather conditions are predicted in Lasbella, Awaran, Khuzdar, Quetta, Zhob, Qilla Saifullah, Qila Abdullah, Ziarat, Kalat, Sherani, Musakhel, Loralai and Barkhan on July 19 and from July 22 to 25.
Apart from this, urban flooding is expected in low-lying areas such as Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Okara, Nowshera and Peshawar. Landslides may cause road closures in hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galliyat, Kashmir and GB.
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