The embankment of a river in Pakistan’s Punjab Province has been breached by floodwaters after days of heavy monsoon rains, forcing the evacuation of 700,000 people from their homes.
Ahmad Kamal, a spokesman for Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority, said the breach on the Chenab River occurred early on September 10 in the Jhang district, about 210 kilometers southwest of Lahore.
The floodwaters spilled into a flat agricultural plain where police already had begun forced evacuations of residents after India’s defense minister warned on September 9 of a possible breach.
More than 440 people have been killed in recent days by floods in Pakistan and Indian-administered Kashmir amid the heaviest rains in 50 years.
In Lahore, the roof of a mosque collapsed on September 9 after days of rain, killing 24 worshippers inside.