Landslides, floods, chaos as monsoon wreaks havoc across Pakistan

A relentless monsoon spell battered cities across Pakistan on Tuesday, unleashing widespread chaos through flash floods and landslides. Torrential rains in Punjab and other provinces have caused rivers and streams to overflow, with the opening of Tarbela Dam’s spillways intensifying the crisis and swelling the Indus River. Major flood surges were reported in Dera Ghazi Khan’s Wador Nala and Shakargarh’s Bein stream, while Haripur witnessed landslides that severed access to several villages in Tehsil Ghazi. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swabi and Balochistan’s Washuk regions, flooded roads and flash torrents further added to the disaster. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif responded by placing the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and all administrative units on high alert, ordering early warnings in vulnerable areas and contingency planning amid fears of escalating flood scenarios. Lahore received early morning downpours that flooded major areas like Model Town, Kalma Chowk, and Shahdara. In a tragic incident, a woman was critically injured after a roof collapse in Shahkam Jaliyana village. The Pakistan Meteorological Department forecasts continued heavy rainfall across the country until July 10, with Lahore and surrounding cities expected to receive further downpours. Meanwhile, power outages plagued affected regions after feeder tripping. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) urged the public to stay indoors during thunderstorms and to report emergencies via helpline 1129. Rain was recorded in several cities, with Sheikhupura receiving the highest at 48 mm. In Islamabad, temperatures cooled slightly, with morning lows of 26°C and high humidity as thundershowers loom.