The Sutlej River surged in Bahawalpur, breaking embankments and flooding nearby villages. Water entered homes, destroying houses and forcing families to leave. Panic spread quickly as residents carried belongings to safer places while authorities monitored the rising flood threat.
In Sahlan village, the Zamindara embankment broke and water rushed into Hussainabad and nearby settlements. Several houses collapsed as floodwaters spread rapidly. Many villagers started evacuating, fearing further destruction as the situation worsened with each passing hour.
Meanwhile, officials sounded a new red alert after another powerful flood surge at Head Trimmu. The Deputy Commissioner of Multan warned that more than 414,000 cusecs of water would strike city embankments within two days. He advised riverside residents to avoid returning to their homes.
The Deputy Commissioner also expressed concern over the slow drainage of existing floodwaters. He said the surge had damaged areas of Shujaabad and Jalalpur Pirwala. Water levels remained high because of slow discharge. Authorities may consider controlled breaches if water pressure continues to rise in critical areas.
Punjab’s PDMA Director General, Irfan Ali Kathia, said the government is closely monitoring the floods. He added that heavy rains in Gujrat had caused breaches in main drains, triggering urban flooding. Machinery has been deployed to improve drainage. Relief operations are ongoing in flood-hit areas, and officials expect improvements within 12 to 18 hours.