• At least 70 people have died in Punjab due to severe monsoon rains and flooding in the last 48 hours.
• A state of emergency has been declared in multiple districts as local authorities conduct rescue operations.
• More than 180 fatalities have been reported since the onset of the monsoon season in late June.
• Evacuation orders have been issued for residents near rivers as water levels rise sharply.
• The National Disaster Management Authority has forecast continued heavy rainfall, exacerbating flooding risks.

Severe monsoon rains have devastated Punjab, with over 70 people reported dead within the last 48 hours due to flooding and collapsed buildings, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Thursday. The most affected districts include Rawalpindi and Chakwal, which encountered intense downpours leading to urban flooding and numerous casualties, reports Dawn.

The National Disaster Management Authority noted that the death toll since the monsoon's onset on June 26 has approached 180, mainly from Punjabs, with the majority of fatalities attributed to house collapses due to heavy rainfall and flooding. On Thursday alone, 63 individuals died and nearly 300 were injured, with many fatalities occurring in Lahore, Faisalabad, and other urban centers, as cited by Channel News Asia and BBC.

Rescue operations are currently underway across various districts where officials are seeking to evacuate individuals trapped in rising waters. Reports indicate that families have been relocated from vulnerable areas near the Nullah Lai river in Rawalpindi, which has seen significant flooding after heavy rains. Government agencies have been mobilized, utilizing more than 1,000 rescue personnel and multiple boats to assist those stranded, as reported by Dawn and Al Jazeera.

Authorities have imposed a state of emergency in affected regions, including the enforcement of Section 144 to restrict activities such as swimming in floodwaters, deemed hazardous. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced these precautions, urging citizens to cooperate with authorities as the rainy season continues, Dawn, Le Monde, and TRT Global report.

As the situation unfolds, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted further heavy rains, which pose additional flooding risks across Punjab and other northern districts. Flood alerts have been issued for multiple rivers, and citizens are advised to prepare for emergency conditions, emphasizing the ongoing threat of monsoon-related disasters, according to Dawn and Channel News Asia.