Islamabad: Pakistani authorities announced that they evacuated more than 150,000 people from areas along three major rivers in Punjab province after receiving a warning from India about the release of excess water from one of its dams.
Pakistani officials explained that recent heavy rains and floods have caused water levels to rise dangerously, while the discharge of water from the Indian side threatens to submerge large parts of Punjab.
A spokesperson for Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority indicated that evacuations began before the latest Indian warning and are still ongoing. He pointed out the number includes approximately 35,000 people who left voluntarily following previous warnings, while army forces are participating in the evacuation operations.
The three rivers, the Ravi, Sutlej and Chenab, are experiencing moderate to heavy flooding amid warnings of further heavy rains in Punjab and Pakistan-administered Kashmir in the coming hours.
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