Islamabad, Sep 2 : More than 2.4 million people have been affected and over a thousand villages submerged as record-breaking monsoon rains unleash devastating floods across Pakistan's Punjab province, in what officials are calling one of the worst flood disasters in the region's history, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), local media reported.

PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said on Monday that heavy downpours and raging rivers have inundated over 3,100 villages and nearly 2,900 hamlets across the province.

The United Nations and growers warned that the relentless monsoon rains and floodwaters which devastated vast areas of farmland and destroyed ready-to-reap crops across Pakistan, trigerred concerns of a food crisis and inflation in the country.

The devastating floods that struck northeastern Punjab, the country's largest province and food basket, last week, killed at least 50 people, submerged hundreds of villages, schools, and health centers, swept away livestock, and destroyed crops, prompting large-scale evacuations, Pakistan's leading daily The Express Tribune reported.

Meanwhile, Mo Yahya, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Pakistan, took to his social media platform X, after visiting the flood-affected areas, stating, 'This isn't normal'yet it's becoming the new normal. Monsoons, driven by climate change, now bring fear and devastation to communities across Pakistan.'

'Flooded rice fields stretch as far as the eye can see. Farmers now face months without crops or income until the next planting season,' he said, sharing a video of inundated farmlands in Hafizabad district of Punjab.

'This is only the beginning - more intense rains are expected in the coming weeks. As the water flows further south, it will threaten more families with displacement and destruction,' Yahya added.

Authorities warned that rising water from the River Chenab is likely to reach Multan district in Punjab on Tuesday, merging with inflows from the River Ravi.

According to the PDMA, surging water level at the River Panjnad in Punjab is expected to reach its peak on September 5, while water from the River Sutlej continues to advance towards barrages, including Suleimanki and Head Islam.

Officials cautioned that two more days of monsoon rains predicted across Punjab could disrupt relief operations and further raise the water levels.

Reports suggest that in the plain regions of Punjab province, at least 164 people lost their lives, while 582 others sustained injuries, as heavy rainfall between 100 and 200 mm triggered severe flooding.

/IANS