MURIDKE, Pakistan: Residents of flood-hit villages in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province appealed for urgent rescue and relief on Monday after monsoon rains inundated their homes, forcing families to flee by boat or remain stranded without electricity, drinking water or food.
Floodwaters spread across fields and villages near Muridke, leaving large areas submerged and prompting evacuations as rescue teams worked to move residents to safety.
“The floodwater came at night when all of us were asleep. It was around 3:00 a.m. when the floodwater reached our area,” said Muhammad Ramzan, 45, a laborer whose home collapsed in the flooding.
“Everything was destroyed. We couldn’t save a single thing.”
Some residents said rescue boats had not yet reached their neighborhoods.
“The rescue boats are operating on the other side of the area, but no one is coming to our side,” said Iqra Salman, a 32-year-old housewife.
“We have no electricity, no clean water, and now we have completely run out of food supplies. We are surrounded by floodwater on all sides. There are small children with us. At the very least, we urge the authorities to rescue us as soon as possible.”
Others said they had been cut off for several days.
“Floodwater has inundated our area since Friday, leaving the entire neighborhood submerged,” said Muhammad Faisal, 39, another laborer.
“Our children are trapped inside their homes, hungry and thirsty, with no one coming to their aid. For the past four days, we have been without electricity, and our supply of drinking water has been completely exhausted.”
Meanwhile, Haris Dar, a rescue volunteer, said dozens of villages remained under water and teams were continuing to evacuate stranded residents while distributing meals to affected families.
“Dozens of villages in this area remain submerged by floodwater,” he said. “As the water level continues to rise, relief efforts have expanded to include the distribution of food.”
Pakistan experiences heavy monsoon rains every year, with flooding frequently damaging homes, crops and infrastructure in low-lying areas.
