Flight operation halted at Sialkot Airport due to heavy rains and flood
Pakistan International Airlines
(PIA) has suspended operations at Sialkot International Airport after
floodwaters approached the facility, forcing all flights scheduled between
10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. to operate from Lahore Airport. Services affected
include routes to Jeddah, Kuwait, and Dammam.
Passengers are advised to confirm
updated flight details through PIA’s helpline at 111-786-786. The affected
flights include PK 746 (Jeddah–Sialkot), PK 745 (Sialkot–Jeddah), PK 239
(Sialkot–Kuwait), and PK 244 (Dammam–Sialkot).
Read More Flight
operation at Sialkot Airport suspended for 15 days
Rescue teams reported that floodwaters were approaching the southern side of Sialkot Airport. Heavy machinery and emergency personnel are actively working to prevent submersion of the airport.
Sialkot recorded 363 millimeters of
rainfall in 24 hours, the highest in nearly five decades. Weather authorities
have forecast further heavy rains in northern Punjab and Azad Kashmir in the
coming days.
The National Disaster Management
Authority (NDMA) has issued warnings of widespread downpours and thunderstorms
from August 29 to September 2, driven by strong monsoon currents from the Bay
of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. Cities under high alert include Lahore, Sialkot,
Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Bahawalpur, and Islamabad.
Read More Sialkot
Airport completes runway overhaul in just 13 days
Flooding has worsened due to rising levels in the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers following water releases from upstream reservoirs in India, with discharges exceeding one million cusecs, threatening towns and agricultural areas.
The Pakistan Army has been deployed
to assist civil authorities in eight districts, including Lahore, Kasur,
Sialkot, and Faisalabad. Meanwhile, Kartarpur, home to the Gurdwara Darbar
Sahib, has also been inundated, prompting urgent evacuations of stranded
pilgrims.
Source: Daily Pakistan