The True Post(Web News) Devastating flood situation continues in various rivers of Punjab. Flood waters have destroyed thousands of settlements, left millions homeless, while the death toll in various accidents has increased to 33.
It was a normal day in the suburbs of Wazirabad. Children were playing, women were busy with their daily chores at home, and men were working in the fields. But suddenly, dark clouds covered the sky. It started raining, and within hours, the rain turned into a disaster. Nearby rivers and streams boiled and the water soon engulfed the streets of the village.
In the same village, Rashida Bibi lived in a mud house with her two sons, daughters-in-law and five grandchildren. The heavy rains that came with the rain reached her doorstep in a matter of moments. At first, everyone thought the water would recede, but instead of receding, it started rising. Soon, her entire village turned into a lake.
On the first day, Rashida Bibi told her sons, “Don’t worry, son, maybe the water will recede by evening. Allah is the best protector.” But by evening, the water had reached the waist. Everyone climbed onto the roof of the house. The rain was not stopping. The children started crying from hunger. There was only a little dry flour and a few stale breads in the house. The women saved them from the water and fed the children. Everyone kept thinking that the rescue team would arrive by morning.
The next day the sun came out but the water rose even more. There was nothing left to eat. One grandson kept saying, “Grandma, I want bread, I am very hungry.” Tears started flowing from Rashida Bibi’s eyes, but she tried to comfort the child by saying, “Son! Just be patient, your father will come with a boat soon.” The rest of the village was also stuck on their roofs. All that was visible from afar was water. There was no peace.
Day Three: Fear of illness and death
By the third day, everyone’s bodies started to weaken. Clean drinking water ran out. The children started to feel thirsty, so they tried drinking rainwater. After that, two of the children started vomiting and had a fever.
Rashida Bibi tried to wet a piece of cloth and wet the children’s lips. Meanwhile, there was a moment at night when a room in the house suddenly collapsed. Everyone screamed. The women started crying that if the roof collapsed, everyone would be swept away in the water. Everyone spent that night awake, no one could sleep.
On the fourth day, the children’s condition had become critical. The eldest daughter-in-law cried, “Mom! If the rescuers don’t come, we will all die here.” But around noon, suddenly the sound of an engine was heard from afar. A boat with rescue workers appeared on the water. Everyone standing on the roof started waving and shouting. The children also made a joyful noise. When the workers approached, Rashida Bibi fell into prostration and thanked Allah. Everyone was placed on the boat in turn. The younger children were picked up first. After four days of torture, the moment came when the family emerged from the jaws of death alive and well. Rashida Bibi prayed to the rescue workers and said, “You are angels to us, may Allah protect you.”
This is not just the story of one family, but a reflection of the millions of victims of Punjab who are living in helplessness, hunger, thirst and fear after the floods. Every family has its own painful story. Some children were separated from their parents, some farmers lost their life’s earnings and some people kept searching for the bodies of their loved ones in the water.
A baby floating in the mother’s lap
Another heartbreaking incident took place near Jhang. When the water started flowing rapidly, a mother came out clutching her newborn baby to her chest. According to the villagers, the woman kept crying and saying, “Save my baby.” The officials pulled her to safety, but unfortunately, the baby died in the water. Even those who witnessed this scene could not hold back their tears.
The farmer’s cry:
Crops standing in Jhang and Chiniot were submerged in water. A farmer, Ghulam Shabbir, said in tears: “Last year too there was a loss, this time I thought I would pay off the loan, but now everything has been washed away… There is land but no crops.”
People between life and death
People are still stranded in several villages of Multan and Muzaffargarh. Reports are coming from several villages that people are climbing trees or sitting on rooftops waiting for rescue. Some have animals which they are not willing to leave behind, as they are their only asset.
Hunger and helplessness in the relief camp
Affected people in the camp in Faisalabad said they were only getting dry rations to eat, and many families did not have clean water. One woman said:
“They just give the children a biscuit to keep them quiet. When it rains at night, the tents leak.”
Four siblings drowned
In a heartbreaking accident near Faisalabad, four children from the same family were swept away in the water. The mother fainted and the villagers started crying after hearing the father’s screams. According to the locals, this scene cannot be forgotten for a lifetime.