9 dead as rescue boat capsizes during flood relief
At least nine people died when a rescue boat capsized during flood relief efforts in Pakistan, authorities said on Friday.
The incident took place in a village near the historic city of Multan in eastern Punjab province on Thursday, a statement from the Punjab Disaster Management Authority said.
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It said the boat had rescued 24 people from flooded villages when it overturned, adding that the remaining 15 were safely removed from the water.
Rescue officials say villagers have been refusing to leave their homes in some parts of rural Pakistan, especially without their cows, goats and other animals, one of their main sources of income, which often leads to forced evacuations.
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The rescue work in the region is “tough because people are not cooperating”, the authority said.
Floods triggered by this year’s intense monsoon rains and swollen rivers have killed 946 people, including 97 in the province, in Pakistan since late June, and inundated large swaths of crops.
The Punjab province, home to half of the country’s 240 million population, is considered Pakistan’s breadbasket.
Authorities say the floods have submerged over 4,500 villages, affecting more than 4.4 million people in the province since late August. At least 2.4 million people have so far been evacuated, they say.
Pakistan floods aftermath
Heavy rains and widespread flooding in basmati rice-growing regions of India and Pakistan have raised concerns over output of the premium staple, driving prices higher as supplies are expected to fall.
India and Pakistan exclusively grow aromatic basmati rice, which sells for nearly twice the price of regular varieties and is primarily imported by Britain, the Middle East, and the United States.
Floods have severely affected the basmati rice crop, but with waters now receding, losses are expected to remain limited provided there is no additional rainfall, said Nitin Gupta, senior vice president at Olam Agri India.
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India’s northern states of Punjab and Haryana contribute over 80% of the country’s total basmati rice production, while Pakistan’s Punjab province accounts for more than 90% of its output.
Heavy rainfall in late August and earlier this month caused the Ravi, Chenab, Sutlej, and Beas rivers to overflow, flooding these regions.
Initial assessments indicate that crops such as paddy, cotton, and pulses on nearly one million hectares were affected in Punjab and Haryana, said an Indian government official.
In Pakistan’s Punjab province rice, sugarcane, corn, vegetables, and cotton on thousands of hectares were submerged earlier this month.
