SWABI, Nov 15: A man and his three sons were among five people who drowned and a tractor trolley was swept away when water was released from the Tarbela reservoir in River Indus on Saturday.

Residents said that the victims were cutting grass in the bed of the river when the Tarbela Dam authorities released the water, washing away all of them along with a tractor trolley. Those who drown were identified as Ihsanullah and his three sons, Said Bacha, Niaz Bacha and Bacha and tractor driver Taseerur Rehman, all residents of Batakara village.

After the construction of Ghazi Barotha Hydropower Project, the Tarbela Dam authorities have not released water into River Indus, but whenever the water flow increases it also floods the Indus.

Villagers said that bodies of two of the drowned persons had been fished out, while search continued to recover the rest of the bodies.