MINGORA: Over 50 families shifted to higher ground and safer places after floodwater from swollen Swat River inundated three villages here on Saturday.

Bakht Rahim, a local volunteer at Sherabad, told Dawn that Swat River was in flood and the overflowing water entered three villages, including Sherabad, Sultanabad and Malakabad, located along the river bank.

At least 50 families have shifted to higher ground to save their lives and belongings after floodwater entered their houses, the residents said.

According to the irrigation department, Swat River was in low flood at Khwazakhela where the water flow was recorded at 18,414 cusecs in the morning.

“Our houses are inundated by floodwater,” Mr Rahim said and added that all the children and women had been shifted to safer places while the men were monitoring the flood situation.

Meanwhile, Swat district administration has issued directives to the villagers residing near Swat River to stay alert.

Deputy commissioner Mehmood Aslam Wazir on Saturday visited the affected villages, including Sherabad, Ogdu, Malakabad and Sultanabad, where he announced that they would soon provide 80 tents and foodstuff to the affected population.

Assistant commissioner Ashfaq claimed that the local administration had completed repair work on the safety wall near Angrodheri.

TWO AFGHANS HELD: Police arrested two Afghan nationals who allegedly killed a man in his house in Yakh Kohi area of Mingora in the wee hours of Saturday.

According to officials of Banr police station, a case was registered on the complaint of the widow of Ahmad Shah.

The complainant, Arifa, told the police that her husband was sleeping on rooftop of the house when she woke up after hearing gunshots at around 3:00am.

She said that she found Ahmad Shah in a pool of blood and saw two persons jumping down from the roof.

An official said that they had arrested two suspected persons, both belonging to Laghman province of Afghanistan, in the murder case.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd , 2014