PES Rescued Over 459,000 People In Sept Across Punjab: Secretary

Secretary Punjab Emergency Services (PES) Dr Rizwan Naseer chaired a monthly operational performance review meeting to assess emergency responses across Punjab, with a particular focus on the recent large-scale flood rescue efforts

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Oct, 2025) Secretary Punjab Emergency Services (PES) Dr Rizwan Naseer chaired a monthly operational performance review meeting to assess emergency responses across Punjab, with a particular focus on the recent large-scale flood rescue efforts.

Dr Rizwan commended Rescue 1122 teams for executing Pakistan’s largest flood boat rescue operation, successfully evacuating and transporting over 459,151 stranded citizens and their livestock from riverine areas across Punjab. He noted that rescue operations were still ongoing in Multan and Muzaffargarh, where boats are also being used to support post-flood relief efforts, including door-to-door food distribution, survey team transport, and mobile health services via 'Clinic on Boats'.

Highlighting the scale of the effort, Dr Rizwan said, “During the unprecedented floods, over 35,000 boat trips were made using 1,517 boats across Punjab. I sincerely appreciate the dedication of all District Emergency Officers (DEOs) and rescuers who worked tirelessly day and night to save lives.”

Despite the challenging flood conditions, Rescue 1122 continued responding to regular emergencies, rescuing 218,831 victims in September 2025 alone.

The review meeting, held on Wednesday, was attended in person by departmental heads and joined via video link by Divisional and District Emergency Officers from across Punjab.

DEOs shared their district-level performance reports and the operational challenges they faced during flood and major emergency responses.

The secretary was informed that Rescue 1122 handled a total of 219,042 emergencies in September, which included: 146,410 medical emergencies; 42,065 road traffic crashes; 6,417 childbirth cases; 5,708 fall/slip incidents; 3,956 crime-related emergencies; 2,116 occupational injuries; 1,631 electric shocks; 1,547 animal rescues; 1,259 fire incidents; 292 burn cases; 128 structural collapses; 108 drowning cases; 7,405 miscellaneous emergencies.

Expressing concern over the alarming rise in structural collapse incidents, Dr Rizwan noted that 128 such incidents were reported in September 2025, resulting in 23 deaths and 208 serious injuries. This marks more than double the number of incidents compared to September 2024, when only 60 were recorded.

He urged the public to ensure the structural safety of their homes, particularly rooftops, to prevent further tragedies, especially during adverse weather conditions.