29,000 evacuated, 1,769 villages submerged, about 1.45 million people affected in Punjab: Deadly floods won’t cease. As the floods find their way to the country’s most populous province, Pakistani authorities deliberately breached a river embankment in Punjab on Friday in order to divert powerful flood surges away from Jhang city, as disaster officials reported 20 deaths in the province this week and more than 429,000 people evacuated.
The flood emergency comes at the height of the South Asian monsoon, when rivers routinely swell but in recent years have become more destructive due to climate change. Punjab, home to more than half of Pakistan’s 240 million people and the country’s breadbasket, has been among the worst hit this week. Officials said the devastation was fueled both by torrential rains and excess water released from upstream dams in India.
