District authorities and emergency teams rescued hundreds of stranded tourists and residents after heavy monsoon rains triggered flash floods across hill torrents in Dera Ghazi Khan and surrounding areas.
DERA GHAZI KHAN: Heavy monsoon rains in the Sulaiman Range triggered flash floods across several hill torrents in Dera Ghazi Khan, prompting a large-scale rescue operation that safely evacuated hundreds of stranded tourists, travelers and local residents.
The flooding affected Sakhi Sarwar and nearby areas, making it difficult for people returning from popular tourist destinations, including Mubarki and Yakbai, as well as residents of tribal regions, to cross swollen waterways.
Following reports of the emergency, Deputy Commissioner and Senior Commandant Dera Ghazi Khan Muhammad Usman Khalid ordered an immediate rescue operation under the supervision of Political Assistant Koh-e-Sulaiman Ameer Taimoor. Border Military Police (BMP) teams were deployed with vehicles and emergency personnel to reach flood-hit routes and assist those trapped by the rapidly rising water.
Rescue teams evacuated tourists, families, women, children and tribal residents to safer locations while also transporting their vehicles and personal belongings. In several areas, BMP personnel manually carried motorcycles and luggage across flooded crossings to help stranded people continue their journey safely.
In one emergency response, BMP officers transported a pregnant woman to a hospital in an official vehicle after floodwaters disrupted normal transportation.
District officials said the swift response prevented a larger humanitarian emergency, with hundreds of people rescued without major reported casualties.
Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Usman Khalid said comprehensive monsoon preparedness measures had already been implemented under the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. Teams from the district administration, Border Military Police, Baloch Levies and other emergency departments have been stationed at vulnerable hill torrent crossings to respond quickly to any developing situation.
He urged tourists and residents to avoid entering or approaching hill torrents during periods of heavy rainfall and to follow official safety advisories.
Meanwhile, senior officials also reviewed flood preparedness in neighboring Rajanpur district. Commissioner Dera Ghazi Khan Chaudhry Ashfaq, irrigation officials, district administration representatives and Rescue 1122 personnel inspected key flood-control structures, including the Kaha Hill Torrent siphon at RD-145 and Pull Pathan Camp at Tayyab Drain.
Officials said the Kaha Hill Torrent recorded a peak discharge of 40,000 cusecs at its source, although much of the water dissipated downstream, with approximately 2,000 cusecs reaching RD-145. The Irrigation Department has established eight emergency camps equipped with machinery, equipment and personnel, while district authorities and Rescue 1122 continue to monitor the situation closely as monsoon rains persist.
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