Flood threat: 11,267 flood victims evacuated by Rescue 1122

4,868 people evacuated in Rahim Yar Khan district

LAHORE: The Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) evacuated 11,267 people from flood-affected districts of the Punjab on Thursday.

According to a press release, 4,868 people were evacuated in Rahim Yar Khan and 4,296 people in Layyah. “Major rescue operations were conducted in Layyah; Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur districts on Thursday,” the statement said.

According to the Rescue 1122 provincial monitoring cell, 582 people were evacuated in Mianwali district; 183 in Dera Ghazi Khan; 767 in Muzaffargarh; eight in Narowal; 545 in Rajanpur and 18 in Rawalpindi.

A total of 3,264 flood-affected people were evacuated from Chachran Sharif; 1,028 from Chuhan village, 259 from Bhong village and 317 from Abadpur in Rahim Yar Khan district.

A total of 3,138 people were rescued from Sumra Nashaib; 290 from Lohanch Nashaib; 205 from Dewan Chowk; 70 from Bakhri Ahmed Khan village; 50 from Basti Gurmani; 20 from Mongar; 110 from Shahwala village; 214 from Wara Sehr; 138 from Basti Jakhar; 56 from Maqsood Chowk and six from Basti Kanjal in Layyah district.

Similarly, 91 people were evacuated from Due Chowk; 71 from Jakhar Imam Shah; seven from Basti Ghalli, 12 from Jhok Uttra in Dera Ghazi Khan district.

A total of 205 people were rescued from Tari Khel Kacha; 184 from Mouch Kacha and 193 from Rokhari Kacha in Mianwali district.

The statement said that 282 people were evacuated Nishter Ghat, Indus River; 18 from Bhagsar, Rojhan; 75 from Bait Sontra; 114 from Rojhangarh and 56 from Talliwala Bandro in Rajanpur district.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Rescue 1122 spokesman Jam Sajjad Hussain said that Rescue 1122’s water rescue teams had launched a coordinated search and rescue operation in flood-prone districts.

“Sarki; Kotla Ghulam Shah, Tiba Budhra and Kundai areas were inundated on Thursday after small bunds broke in Alipur tehsil in Muzaffargarh district.

“Moreover, 12,000 people of Kot Chattha tehsil of Dera Ghazi Khan were affected by floods after the Jakhar Imam Shah Bund developed a breach on Wednesday,” the Rescue 1122 official said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2015.