Drones scour floodwaters as Pakistan’s death toll climbs to 881

Thermal imaging drones are being deployed in Pakistan’s Punjab province to locate and rescue people stranded by severe monsoon floods, officials said Wednesday.

Swollen rivers have threatened farmland and villages and the national death toll from rains and flooding this year climbed to 881 with nearly 1,200 injured, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.

“Using thermal imaging drones, we are able to identify people and livestock trapped in floodwaters in even the most remote areas,” said a spokesperson for the Punjab Safe Cities Authority, which is spearheading the effort. “This technology allows our rescue teams to act quickly and safely, saving lives that might otherwise be at risk.”

In one case in the central district of Jhang, drones spotted five people and their animals marooned on submerged land.

Rescue boats were dispatched and all were evacuated unharmed. Similar operations are underway in Chishtian and Bahawalnagar near the Indian border, where drones are guiding rescuers through difficult terrain and at night.

Pakistan has suffered devastating floods in recent years, including in 2022 when one-third of the country was submerged, killing 1,700 people and causing billions of dollars in damage.

Authorities say the new drone initiative is a major step forward in disaster management, allowing real-time coordination with the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).

“This is a historic step for disaster management in Pakistan,” the spokesperson said. “By combining advanced drone technology with our emergency response teams, we are ensuring that help reaches those in need as quickly as possible.”

High-level flood in Ravi

Meanwhile, the Ravi River is experiencing an “extremely high-level flood” at Head Sulemanki, a key irrigation and flood control point in eastern Punjab. The water flow was recorded at 168,000 cusecs (cubic feet per second), PDMA said.

To protect critical infrastructure, authorities deliberately breached the Mai Safura embankment using explosives, diverting water to prevent catastrophic damage to irrigation works.

Officials said the measure was “unavoidable” given the emergency, and engineers remain on site to monitor the situation.

Monsoon rains, which run from June to September, are vital for agriculture across South Asia but often unleash deadly floods and landslides.

Experts warn that climate change is making such weather events more frequent and severe in Pakistan, a country of 241 million people that ranks among the most climate-vulnerable in the world.