At least nine people lost their lives when a rescue boat capsized during flood relief operations in southern Punjab, officials confirmed Friday, as the Sutlej River unleashed its worst flooding in four decades, swamping hundreds of villages and displacing over 150,000 residents.
According to the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the accident occurred on Thursday in a village near Multan. The boat had already evacuated 24 people when it overturned; 15 survivors were later pulled from the river.
Authorities in Minchinabad Tehsil reported that a Rescue 1122 vessel, designed for 15 people but carrying 22 along with 400 litres of milk in plastic containers, sank near Mamoonka Basti. Among the dead were two young men, Adnan and Khizar, whose bodies were found the next day.
Separate drowning incidents were also reported in Chishtian, where 38-year-old Muhammad Hussain and 12-year-old Muhammad Asad were swept away by floodwaters. Their bodies were later recovered by rescue teams.
Rescue officials highlighted ongoing challenges, noting that many villagers refused to evacuate without their livestock — cattle, goats, and other animals vital to their survival — often forcing authorities to conduct reluctant removals.
“Operations are extremely difficult because people are not cooperating,” the PDMA said in its statement, adding that unrelenting monsoon rains and swollen rivers had compounded the disaster.
The Sutlej flood has inundated a 154-kilometre stretch in Bahawalnagar alone, submerging nearly 400 settlements. Local officials estimate that about 150,000 people have been left without shelter in the district.
Province-wide, over 4,500 villages have been submerged since late August, displacing more than 4.4 million people. At least 2.4 million have been evacuated. Nationwide, since late June, the floods have killed 946 people and destroyed extensive farmland.
Meanwhile, survivors accused authorities of negligence, claiming that preventive measures were not taken despite repeated warnings. Thousands remain stranded under the open sky, awaiting relief as the Sutlej flood deepens into a humanitarian emergency.
