Heavy rains killed 45 people in Lahore, Sialkot, Jammu Kashmir. Indian and Pakistan armies started rescue operations at the both sides of the border

Heavy rains killed 45 people in Lahore, Sialkot, Jammu Kashmir. Indian and Pakistan armies started rescue operations at the both sides of the border

Asad Haroon

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has announced Rs0.5 million for each of the deceased and Rs0.1 million for each of the injured.

Islamabad: Heavy rains and flash floods have caused the death of 45 persons in Lahore, Kasur and Sialkot. Heavy rains and flash floods are playing havoc in Pakistani and Indian Punjab and Indian and Pakistani held Kashmir after clouds bursting took place over Himalaya in Indian held Kashmir. Jhelum river in Kashmir is in heavy flood and massive landslides washed away roads in Jammu Kashmir. Pakistan Meteorological Department forecasts heavy floods in river Jhelum, river Chenab and river Ravi.

City wise Rainfall recorded at 1500 hours Thursday is hereunder:

Dated: Thursday, September 04, 2014

Heavy rains and landslides halt traffic on 300 km stretch of Jammu-Srinagar national highway.

— HeadlinesToday (@HeadlinesToday) September 4, 2014

 

Army launches rescue operations in various districts of J&K affected by incessant rains & flash floods. News Flash: http://t.co/oPJOPK45bK

— India Today (@IndiaToday) September 4, 2014

It may be mentioned that Dispatch News Desk (DND) published a report on June 27, 2014 “Massive floods are expected in Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and India during late July to early September”. This report can be read to click this link .

Rain emergency has been declared in Pakistani Punjab and province has been placed on High Alert Emergency status.

Met office said Lahore received 189 mm rain in just 6 hours.  Incidents of roof collapse and electrocution triggered 11 deaths in Lahore and 13 causalities in other cities of Punjab.

Other than Punjab, the Met office also forecasts rain in Sindh, Kashmir and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif has directed the Punjab government to expedite relief work following the rain-related incidents that caused loss of lives and property.

Pakistan Meteorological Department forecasts heavy floods in river Jhelum, river Chenab and river Ravi. Lahore, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Narowal, Kamoni, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Sahiwal are facing heavy rainfall since last night in Pakistan while situation is similar in Indian Punjab where Chandigarh, Amritsar, Jammu, Baramula and other cities are in flood like situation.

According to initial reports at least 13 people were killed in rain-related incidents across Indian Punjab and Jammu Kashmir on Thursday.

More Rains

Indian Met office said that the current spell is being generated by the first well-marked low pressure of the monsoon season that is moving towards Pakistan via Indian Rajasthan, moist current from the Bay of Bengal and a trough of westerly wave persisting over northern parts of the country.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department had sent out a warning that all rivers in Punjab would likely be in “very high” to “exceptionally high” flood from Sept 5 to 7 because of expected intensification of the current spell of fairly widespread rains reported from various parts of the country.