Three drown in flood water

Flood torrent damages a bridge near Kot Sultan

MULTAN: Three people, including two girls, drowned in food water on Saturday, officials said.

Rajanpur Information Officer Asadullah Shahzad said eight girls were taking a bath in the River Indus when Farzana Bibi, 8, and Shabana, 7, drowned. He said the girls had died trying to rescue each other. He said the remaining six girls had been rescued.

Abdul Hafeez, 40, drowned in flood water at Wada Saihdan.

The PDMA has issued a flood warning. It said 530,000 cusecs water passed through Chashma Barrage early on Saturday; another 600,000 cusecs was expected at the barrage. It said 500,000 cusecs of flood water was passing through Layyah.

Discharge from Chashma Barrage was 501,095 cusecs; 487,522 cusecs from Taunsa Barrage; 119,887 cusecs from Panjnad; 671,554 cusecs from Guddu Barrage and 797,938 cusecs from Mithankot. A bridge, namely Khooni Pul, was damaged due to flood water near Dholwala Pul in Kot Sultan. Several areas, including Shahwala Green, Bakhra Shah and Khokharwala, lost connectivity with Layyah after the bridge was damaged. Shahzad said the Layyah district administration had restored the road link between Aqilpur and Rajanpur by fixing a steel bridge.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 9^th, 2015.