LARKANA, July 4: Over 40,000 people of Shahdadkot on Wednesday moved out of the town after a new 50-foot-wide breach occurred in the Safiullah Magsi canal, near Dhori Shakh.

The town has already been under threat of severe flooding from six breaches in the Golowah Sim nullah. The floodwater on Wednesday hit the Turab Shah area on Rap Road, just four kilometres from Shahdadkot.

The water level has increased at the zero point and two more breaches have occurred in the Shahdadkot drain.

The Shaikh Mohalla, Dargha Mohalla and Garibabd localities looked deserted with most of the houses locked.

Shahdadkot Taluka Nazim Sardar Khan Jarwar said that a one-kilometre dyke was being built around the town to meet any eventuality.

“We are building it as a precautionary measure.” He said that a breach at the Saifullah branch near the Mustafa Jarwar village had been plugged.

However, local journalists who visited the area on Wednesday evening said the breach was yet to be plugged. Water gushing out of the breach had submerged 20 villages.

Ramesh Lal, an MNA from Shahdadkot, told Dawn that about 30,000 to 40,000 people had moved out of the town despite the fact that the flood threat was gradually receding.

He said he had appealed to the people not to leave the town as danger was almost over.

“Some elements are spreading rumours that have created panic among the people,” the Shahdadkot nazim said, adding that he was optimistic that water would not enter the town. However, people in the town and at the site of the new dyke said that the flood threat was still there.

Asghar Shaikh, a resident of Shahdadkot, complained that transporters had raised the fare and people found it difficult to move out of the town. He said that a number of families had taken shelter in school buildings.

The affected people complained that they were yet to receive any help or relief from the government.

Almost all mud-houses in union councils of Khabar, Karira, Qubo Saeed Khan, Hazarwah and Dhori have been destroyed by rains and flood causing losses of billions of rupees.