Web Desk: Authorities sounded danger sirens around Rawalpindi’s Lai Nullah on Wednesday after torrential monsoon rain sent water levels sharply higher, prompting evacuation alerts in low-lying areas of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
The downpour marked the third consecutive day of heavy rain in the region. As a result, emergency agencies moved to a high state of alert while rescue teams urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and keep children away from storm-water channels and electrical poles.
Officials said water at the Kattarian point of Lai Nullah rose above 21 feet, while the level at the Gawalmandi bridge reached about 16 feet and continued to increase.
Earlier readings showed the water level at Kattarian had crossed 19 feet, highlighting the rapid rise caused by persistent rainfall.
Authorities issued alerts for vulnerable settlements around Kattarian and a pre-alert for Gawalmandi. Residents living in low-lying areas were advised to move to safer locations if conditions worsened.
Rainfall totals across Rawalpindi and Islamabad included 66 mm at Saidpur, 65 mm at Bokra, 63 mm at Pirwadhai, 52 mm at Golra, 50 mm at Shamsabad and 47 mm at Chaklala, according to local authorities.
Meanwhile, floodwater entered a religious school in Sehgal Street in Rawalpindi Cantonment, leaving hundreds of students temporarily trapped.
Rescue 1122 teams reached the site and entered the school by climbing over walls. As water entered the premises, students were moved to an upper floor before rescuers transferred them to safer locations.
Rescue officials later confirmed that all the children had been safely evacuated.
In another incident, nine people, including six adults and three children, became trapped inside a house in Gulrez after floodwater entered the property. Rescue teams evacuated all nine people safely, with no casualties reported.
The latest spell has affected much of Punjab, with Rawalpindi recording 130 mm of rain over the previous 24 hours, according to figures issued by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority.
Attock received 79 mm, while Lahore Airport recorded 65 mm and Wazirabad 50 mm. Gujranwala and Jhelum each recorded 39 mm, followed by Narowal with 33 mm, Mandi Bahauddin with 30 mm, Gujrat with 19 mm, Sialkot with 11 mm and Murree with 7 mm.
The PDMA said the current monsoon spell, the sixth of the season, was expected to continue through Aug. 21, with further rain forecast across several districts during the next 24 hours.
PDMA Director General Muhammad Saif Anwar Jappa said commissioners, deputy commissioners and district administrations across Punjab had been placed on high alert on the instructions of the provincial government.
He urged residents to stay away from vulnerable and dilapidated buildings and seek shelter in safe places during thunderstorms.
Rescue 1122 also advised residents near Lai Nullah and other drainage channels to remain indoors unless travel was necessary and to keep children away from flooded areas.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast further rain in Islamabad, upper Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir through Friday.
Meanwhile, the Flood Forecasting Division in Lahore reported low-level flooding at Kalabagh, Chashma, Taunsa and Guddu barrages along the Indus River, while water levels in other major rivers remained within normal ranges.
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