Rescue | Pakistan

• Floods along GT Road affect over 1,000 houses, inundate over 43,000 acres of land • Official says water in affected villages receding, warns rainfall may cause floods again • FFD says Indus flowing at medium flood, predicts ‘medium-to-high-level flows’ in eastern rivers’ nullahs LAHORE: Recent floods in Feroze­wala, Muridke — Sheikhupra tehsils — and Kala Shah Kaku have affe­cted more than 94 villages, submerging vast tracts of land along the Lahore-Guj­ranwala tract of the GT Road for the past several days. According to a Punjab Provincial Disaster Man­a­gement Authority (PDMA) report, at least 1,215 hou­ses — 1,075 in Ferozewala and 140 in Muridke — were affected, while 43,188 acres of land were inundated. The PDMA said 738 pe­­o­ple and 46 livestock were evacuated, adding that 13 relief camps were established. Over a dozen medical camps and mobile clinics treated 1,633 pati­e­nts while 4,085 ration bags were distributed among af­­­fected families. The PDMA report said that Rescue 1122 deployed seven dewa...

SWAT: Search efforts were underway to trace a person who went missing after a glacier burst incident in Upper Swat’s Kalam Valley, Rescue 1122 said on Saturday. Six others were injured in the incident that took place in Kalam’s Matiltan area a couple of days ago. The glacier burst was reported once the survivors returned to the main Kalam bazaar. A man, identified as Syed Ali Shah, a resident of Khwazakhela, remained missing. According to his companions, he is believed to have died. However, his body has not yet been recovered. Rahimullah, one of the expedition members, told Dawn that Shah was a local guide who was accompanying the team of six. He said dangerous conditions amid a snowstorm had compelled them to leave Shah’s body at the site. Upper Swat Deputy Commissioner Sohail Khan told Dawn that the district administration had coordinated with all relevant departments and formally requested helicopter support and other professional assistance from the competent authorities. “I have also invited members of ...

PESHAWAR: A house fire in the Tehkal Payan area of Peshawar killed a couple and their four children on Thursday, Rescue 1122 said. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi told Dawn that the rescue service received the report of the fire at around 2:30am. After reaching the site of the incident, it took the rescue team 45 minutes to bring the fire under control. The team recovered the bodies of six people from a room during its search operation. These included a husband, wife and their four children — three girls aged 11, nine, and three years, and a four-year-old boy. The man was a local worker of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Fazl (JUI-F), according to a statement issued by the party about the incident. According to Faizi, the fire apparently started in a storage area, where furniture and mattresses were kept and spread to other parts of the residential house. However, he said that the blaze was so intense that the family was likely unable to leave the single room they were staying in. The spoke...

ISLAMABAD (APP): Rescue 1122 Rawalpindi has finalised a comprehensive emergency cover plan to ensure timely response and emergency services during Youm-e-Ashura (10th Muharram) processions, gatherings and other religious events.

MUZAFFARGARH - A team of Rescue 1122 Muzaffargarh successfully assisted in the delivery of a baby inside an ambulance while transporting a pregnant woman to a tertiary care hospital, ensuring the safety of both mother and newborn.

The Supreme Court has ruled that employees of the Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) do not fall within the definition of civil servants.

• Civil Defence official testifies power shutdown, closed exits and lack of emergency lighting hampered evacuation • Says building was inspected twice in 2024, 2025 and fire safety mesasures were found inadequate KARACHI: An official of Civil Defence has informed the Gul Plaza Judicial Commission that the fire and rescue service of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), as well as the Rescue 1122, were equipped with advanced machinery, but failed to douse the fire efficiently and rescue people trapped inside the burning building on Jan 17. He also deposed that premature shutdown of electricity, lack of emergency/backup lights and closure of gates had further exacerbated panic among people stuck in the ill-fated building and significantly impaired evacuation efforts. Mirza Mursaleen Baig, a technical instructor at the Civil Defence department, further testified that fire safety measures were found inadequate during an inspection of the building, but a challan could not be filed in court over non-complianc...

KARACHI: A fire that broke out at a chemical factory in Karachi’s SITE on Tuesday was brought under control, Rescue 1122 said. In a statement, the Rescue 1122 spokesperson said the fire had been brought under control, and the cooling process was underway. Earlier, the spokesperson said that efforts were underway to control the fire, which erupted in a factory located near Valika Chowrangi. “A fire brigade truck, along with rescue teams, was immediately dispatched to the site of the incident, as soon as the Rescue 1122 received report of the incident,” the spokesperson added. A contingent of Sindh Rangers personnel was also dispatched to the site of the incident, their spokesperson said in a statement. “Rangers personnel are actively participating in the relief activities and rescue operation along with the fire brigade and rescue personnel,” the spokesperson said. Meanwhile, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab took notice of the incident. In a post on X, Mayor Wahab said, “KMC fire team is attending to the fire incid...

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has announced that the provincial government will provide all required resources to comprehensively upgrade the Rescue 1122 system, aiming to strengthen the protection of lives and property across the province.

KARACHI: Five members of a family, including two children, were rescued on Sunday after falling into an open drain in Korangi’s Mehran Town area, according to Rescue 1122 officials. A Rescue 1122 spokesperson said the Central Command and Control received the alert and immediately dispatched a water rescue team and trained divers to the site. “The rescue team carried out a rapid operation and rescued all five affected individuals, who were heading to attend a wedding ceremony,” he said. The spokesperson said all affected individuals were rescued and taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre by ambulance for medical treatment. However, one of the women rescued from the drain was reported to be in critical condition, the spokesperson added. The spokesperson told Dawn that four people – two women and children – were on their way to attend the wedding ceremony. Upon reaching the corner of the street to board the bus, they ascended over a rain drain near the mosque covered with slabs; however, it could not be...

Reduced visibility due to fog resulted in the collision of six trailer trucks on the Multan-Sukkur Motorway (M5) on Tuesday, leaving seven people injured, according to Rescue 1122. A section of the motorway (M5) from Zahir Pir in Rahim Yar Khan to the Multan Sher Shah Interchange — near which the collision took place — was also briefly closed in the morning due to fog hampering visibility. According to a statement by the Rescue 1122, trucks being driven on the motorway collided with stationary ones due to fog. Separately, Multan Rescue 1122 spokesperson Arshad Hussain told Dawn that the collision had taken place between six trucks. The rescue service’s statement further detailed that seven people were injured in the accident, of whom two were taken out of a truck during a rescue operation. Traffic diverted due to closure National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) spokesperson Imran Shah earlier confirmed to Dawn that the M5 was closed from the Multan Sher Shah Interchange to Zahir Pir in Rahim Yar Khan betw...

The building of a garment factory in Karachi Export Processing Zone collapsed on Thursday after a fire erupted there, Rescue 1122 said, adding that efforts were under way to douse the flames. An initial statement by the rescue service said, “As soon as the Central Command and Control of the Rescue 1122 received the information, a fire and rescue team, along with an ambulance and a fire brigade truck, were dispatched to the scene.” It added that the team was trying to bring the fire under control. An update by Rescue 1122 later said the factory’s building had collapsed due to the intensity of the fire, adding that two firefighters had been injured due to the collapse. They were being provided first aid, the statement said. Separately, a statement by Sukkan police said that the fire erupted in a warehouse and no casualties had been reported thus far. Further investigation was under way, the statement added. This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media c...

Two women were killed and 30 others were injured on Sunday when a coaster carrying a wedding party collided with the mountainside on Jab road in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Haripur, according to Rescue 1122. A Rescue 1122 statement said the accident took place due to brake failure. Subsequently, four Rescue 1122 ambulances and a rescue vehicle were sent to the site, it said, adding that the bodies and most of the injured were taken to Trauma Centre Haripur. Two of the injured whose condition was critical were sent to Abbottabad. In a similar incident in late September, 11 deaths were reported after a truck crashed in KP’s Dera Ismail Khan. Three people were also injured in the accident, which a Rescue 1122 spokesperson attributed to brake failure. In another accident the same month on September 9, two women had died while four people were injured after a jeep they were travelling in plunged into a ravine in KP’s Mansehra. This was two day after five members of a family were killed in a road accident on the Hazara Mo...

At least four people have died and another 28 have been injured over the last 24 hours in rain-related incidents across Punjab as the province received heavy rainfall, a spokesperson for the Rescue 1122 Punjab said on Monday. According to a weather alert issued by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) last week, a strong westerly weather system was likely to affect the upper catchments of all major rivers, along with Islamabad, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, causing “heavy to very heavy wind-thunderstorms and rains” from October 5 to October 7. Punjab Rescue 1122 Spokesperson Farooq Ahmed said in a statement: “Over the last 24 hours, four people, including two children, were killed in rain-related incidents, while another 28 were left injured.” He added that in Faisalabad, a 12-year-old girl and an eight-year-old boy lost their lives as the roof of their house caved in due to heavy rains, injuring another seven people. “A 70-year-old man was killed in Nankana Sahib, while a 65-year-old man died in a si...

At least 11 people were killed, and another three were injured after a truck crashed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan, rescue 1122 said on Friday. Speaking to Dawn.com, spokesperson Rescue 1122, Bilal Ahmad Faizi, said that, “Eleven people lost their lives and three were injured as the truck’s brakes failed, causing it to crash in the Dana Sar Daranda area of DI Khan.” “The deceased include five women, a child, and a man,” he said, adding that the three injured were rushed to the District Headquarter Hospital DI Khan.“ He further said that the truck was travelling from the Khanozai area of Balochistan. “Seven of the bodies were also taken to the hospital by the Rescue 1122 team, while four bodies were moved to the hospital by the local people,” he said. The deceased people have not yet been identified. Public Relations Officer of DI Khan Police Yaqoob Khan, in a statement, said, “Police are compiling a report for the identification of the deceased and arranging for the bodies to be handed over to thei...

Five members of a family were killed in a road accident on the Hazara Motorway in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Haripur district late on Monday night, according to Rescue 1122. Faraz Bilal Sidiqqui, the spokesperson for Rescue 1122 in Haripur, told Dawn.com that the accident took place when a trailer en route to Rawalpindi collided with a car near Maqsood interchange on the motorway. “As a result, five members of a family, including three men and two women, were killed,” he said. Sidiqqui added that rescue personnel shifted the dead bodies to a type-D hospital in Havelian. Accidents are common on highways and motorways across Pakistan, caused by reckless driving, speeding, driver fatigue, and poor vehicle maintenance. Poor road conditions contribute to mishaps, while weak enforcement of traffic laws allows violations to go unchecked, worsening the situation. In August, a policeman deployed on the security of a Chinese delegation had died while six others, including a deputy superintendent of police, were injured when ...

Five people drowned as a boat capsized in the Chenab River in the Jalalpur Pirwala area of Punjab’s Multan district on Saturday amid a flood evacuation, according to officials. Multan Deputy Commissioner (DC) Wasim Hamid Sindhu and City Police Officer (CPO) Sadiq Ali Dogar later reached the site for an inspection and were briefed by officials present there. “The causes of the boat accident are being carefully examined. Initially, five deaths, including children on board the boat, have been confirmed,” DC Sindhu was quoted as saying in a statement. A statement from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) also put the toll at five. He ordered the rescue authorities to immediately intensify the search operation. “Rescue operations are being carried out to search for more people on board the boat,” Sindhu said. Meanwhile, CPO Dogar said police teams were providing full support to Rescue 1122 and the initial reasons for the boat accident included the darkness and flooded routes. The initial report from...

At least 200 people were rescued after a glacier burst in Gilgit-Baltistan blocked the Ghizer River, threatening the downstream areas, Rescue 1122 said on Friday. A glacial burst, or glacial lake outburst flood (Glof), refers to an outburst of water from a glacial lake which could lead to severe flooding downstream, effectively blocking or overwhelming rivers in its path. Pakistan is home to over 13,032 glaciers, the largest reservoir of glaciers outside of the polar regions. However, experts have warned that about 10,000 glaciers in Chitral and GB have been reported to be receding due to climate change–induced temperature rise. A statement from Rescue 1122 said, “200 people have been rescued from flood-affected areas and have been shifted to Ghizer’s Yangal and Samal areas.” “Several people have been traumatised after [their] houses were destroyed. Medical assistance is being provided to the affected people,” it added. In another statement issued earlier today, Rescue 1122 said, “A terrible incident of glaci...

A major rescue operation was launched in the Malook Abad area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat district after a section of an emerald mine collapsed on Wednesday evening, trapping multiple workers underground. According to initial reports by Rescue 1122 Swat, the mine caved in suddenly during extraction activity. “Upon receiving the alert, the district emergency officer immediately dispatched a specialised disaster response team to the site, where a full-scale rescue operation was launched without delay,” said Rescue 1122 spokesperson Shafiqa Gul. Gul confirmed that four mine rescuers entered the collapsed shaft, working to reach and retrieve the trapped individuals. “Rescue efforts were being carried out with urgency, utilising all available resources including modern equipment, ambulances and medical teams stationed at the site,” she said, adding that additional support has been requisitioned from nearby mines and emergency units to expedite the operation. “We are doing everything in our capacity to ensure a sa...

A high-speed trailer truck crashed in Karachi’s upscale Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on Monday morning, injuring two people, according to Rescue 1122. The city has lately witnessed a rise in traffic accidents, especially involving heavy vehicles, including dumpers and water tankers, which killed nearly 500 people and injured 4,879 in 2024, according to hospital data. According to a spokesperson for Rescue 1122 Sindh, the trailer was travelling at a high speed when it crashed into a bungalow in DHA Phase 2. He said that as soon as Rescue 1122’s Central Command and Control team received the information, the urban search and rescue team, along with two ambulances and one disaster response vehicle, rushed to the scene. “Two people trapped as a result of the collision were rescued safely,” he said, adding that they were transported to the hospital via ambulance with minor injuries. He added that both of the injured victims were trailer staff. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Syed Asad Raza confirmed that th...