Exclusive — In the flood-stricken tehsil of Kamalia, nestled within Punjab’s Toba Tek Singh district, a wedding unfolded unlike any other. With land routes drowned by the overflowing Ravi River, Shahzad, a young groom from Kalera Adda, refused to let nature steal his moment of joy. His bride awaited in Khan Da Chak, a village now surrounded by water.
The solution was boats.
Photos and videos of the bride’s departure have surged across social media, capturing a surreal yet heartwarming scene. Dressed in traditional red, adorned with gajras and bangles, the bride stepped into a Rescue 1122 vessel. A rescue official gently fastened a life jacket around her shoulders, a gesture both practical and poignant.
The boat, carrying five women and several children, became a floating celebration. One clip shows a man beating a dhol and singing wedding songs, his voice rising above the lapping floodwaters. Another shows the newlyweds posing with rescue personnel, their smiles undimmed by the crisis around them.
Kamalia, located roughly 218 kilometers from Lahore, has been one of the hardest-hit areas by the Ravi’s flooding. Dozens of villages, including Khan Da Chak, remain submerged. Yet, as BBC Urdu reported, Rescue 1122 stepped in not just as emergency responders but as facilitators of joy.
“We fulfilled our responsibility and took the procession through the flood,” said Faizan Ali, a Rescue 1122 official, in his statement to the BBC. Their social media echoed the sentiment: “The procession was surrounded by floods, Rescue 1122 officials became the protectors of Suhag.”
The groom’s father, overwhelmed with emotion, shared: “We thought this happy day might not be complete, but the Rescue 1122 officials went above and beyond our relatives. They not only saved our lives but also became the guardians of our happiness.”
This flood wedding, now etched into the collective memory of the region, stands as a testament to human spirit. In the face of adversity, love didn’t just survive, it sailed.