CHITRAL/PESHAWAR, Aug 2: Floods killed five people, swept away several houses and damaged road links in different valleys of Chitral district, while hill torrents and rainwater courses swelled and inundated low-lying areas in parts of Peshawar on Friday.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) asked the administration in Peshawar and Charsadda to take precautionary measures for the safety of people living along Kabul river.

The authority issued a flood warning and said Chitral river was in high flood and 50,000 cusecs of water would enter the river early on Saturday morning.

“Therefore, the local administration should take precautionary measures to avoid any loss of public and private property downstream Warsak dam,” the PDMA quoted the provincial hydrology irrigation division as saying.

Widespread rains started in Chitral on Thursday and it rained intermittently on Friday. Torrential rains continued to play havoc across the district.

About 60 houses were swept away in Reshun village and after the warning people fled to higher ground for safety.

A couple herding their cattle in the village’s pasture drowned in the flood water. Their bodies could not to be found.

Former union Nazim Amirullah told Dawn that floods had washed away all five suspension bridges over the stream flowing through the village and the area was cut off from other villages. Over 200 families have been displaced. They have put up with their relatives in the village.

Eleven vehicles have been swept away by flood.

Violent currents hit Reshun village intermittently throughout the day.

Three people went missing after a fresh wave hit Jughoor village.

Seven houses were washed away by the flash flood in Parabek village of Lotkoh valley.

Floods also hit other parts of Chitral district, including Denin and Karimabad, but there was no report of casualties or damage to property.

Razhoi, a major irrigation channel, has been washed away by the flood, disconnecting Khot village and depriving 2,000 people of drinking water. Water supply schemes and irrigation channels have been damaged and people are facing shortage of potable water.

Chitral’s Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Shoaib Jadoon visited the flood-affected area of Reshun and supervised relief work.

In Peshawar, heavy rain triggered floods in three dry water courses passing through Hayatabad. A man was killed and two others were injured in rain-related incidents in Sheikh Mohammadi locality on Friday.

Violent currents swept away several mud houses in Gulabad area of the provincial capital. Floodwater also washed away 20 houses in Khyber Agency.

Floods wrecked havoc in Hayatabad Town and other areas along notorious Budhani Nullah. Water flooded basements of houses in Hayatabad and streets turned into virtual streams. Residents blamed the Peshawar Development Authority for the flooding of their houses and said the authority had allowed reclamation of water courses, which narrowed the beds of dry streams.

The reclaimed land was sold to the private sector and construction of educational institutions and other commercial structures was allowed.

Rescue 1122 said several stranded people were rescued in Hayatabad.

The PDMA said 110,000 cusecs of water would enter the Kabul rive in the midnight and pass through Charsadda and Nowshera districts.

The rising water level in Budhani Nullah submerged a portion of the highway linking Peshawar with Charsadda district, suspending traffic.

People living near Kabul river have started vacating their homes after a fresh warning by the local administration.

The PDMA said floodwater had entered houses in Sardar Ahmad Jan Colony and areas along Pajagai road. Rescue operation was in progress.

Residents were seen shifting to safe areas in tractor trolleys.