Rescuers evacuate 14,000 people from flood-hit villages in eastern Pakistan

Lahore, July 14 (BNA): Rescue workers in boats have evacuated 14,000 people over the past few days after floodwaters from two rivers flooded by monsoon rains inundated dozens of villages in eastern Pakistan.

Monsoon rains began hitting the South Asian country in late June, and since then, at least 91 people have died in weather-related accidents across the country, the Associated Press reports.

Mohsin Naqvi, a senior official in eastern Punjab province, tweeted on Friday that he had visited the flood-affected areas. Evacuations began earlier this week after neighboring India diverted water from dams into the Ravi River, which flows from India into Pakistan. The flooding of Sutlej River also submerged villages in different parts of the district.

According to the National Meteorological Agency, rains will continue this week in the southwestern regions of Baluchistan and southern Sindh, where thousands died in floods last summer.

The floods affected 33 million people and killed 1,739 in Pakistan. They also caused $30 billion in damage to the country’s economy.

The monsoon season started in July and will continue till September.

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