Islamabad (dpa) – A second wave of floods is passing through
Pakistan’s rivers and may affect more areas in the central province
of Punjab, the head of the Pakistan Meterological Department said
Thursday.
“The worst is not over yet. The next 10 days will be very crucial
because the second wave of floods is right now passing through Punjab
and might impact the southern parts of the province,” Qamar-u-Zaman
Chaudhry said.
Chaudhry said that the water was surging in the River Chenab and
might hit Multan, a city of more than 4.5 million people. “Even
though the authorities have made some breaches to ease the water
pressure, water can still hit the city.”
The situation was also tense around the Indus River, with water
flows of more than 22,656 cubic metres per second in Punjab’s
Chashma area.
The first wave of floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains earlier
this month have devastated large areas in Pakistan, affecting 14
million people and leaving 1,600 dead.
The United Nations have made an emergency appeal for 460 million
dollars to provide critical assistance for 6 million flood victims. A
delay in the response could result in a second wave of deaths in
flood-affected areas, the UN warned.