MULTAN/RAJANPUR, Dec 21: Flooding stemming from torrents of rain inundated a number of mauzas in Rojhan tehsil on Sunday and the helpless administration was carrying rescue operation with three motor boats.Our sources say the number of mauzas flooded was 20 but the Dera Ghazi Khan commissioner said only eight villages had been affected.

Unexpectedly and to the surprise of the administration and people, low level flooding in Zangi and Sorri hill torrents on Sunday that drained the rainwater swept 25 squares kilometers.

Flooding completely swept away villages Mir Dost, Khabbar and Basti Hammal leaving collapsed muddy houses behind.

The other affected mauzas include Giamal, Chak Jadid, Mushtarka Mazari, Tariqabad, Safdarabad, Khoyani, Dilbar, Chak Muth one, Chak Muth two and Chak Muth three, Gul Sorri, Dangri Sorri, Gadadar, Sheikh Wala, Baraa, Leeni, Sorri, Hetha, Shah Wali and Patti Shah Wali.

The district administration could not approach many villages leaving the villagers to act on their own.

In Basti Hammal and Dandakot, police were rescuing the people and shifting them to camps at Bangla Hidayat on Indus Highway. District Police Officer Dr Rizwan supervised the rescue activities.

Commissioner Hasan Iqbal and members of Punjab Assembly Sher Ali Khan Gorchani and Sardar Atif Khan Mazari also visited the area and took part in rescue activities. Affected people complained hundreds of people had yet to get camps and food.

Mr Iqbal said that 100 tents had been set up near Rojhan where victims would be housed and 300 more tents would also be provided to the victims. He said that insufficient numbers of flood channels across Indus Highway and the construction of a road for Arab dignitaries and Kachhi Canal were major reasons for the accumulation of rain and hill torrent waters that could not find its way up to the Indus River.

He said the affected area was not much populated and being the rain-fed area the crops were not cultivated at large scale there. He said the government would conduct a survey to assess losses due to the floods.

Irrigation Chief Engineer Iftikhar Ahmed Bhutta denied flooding in the hill torrents, saying that it was just the rain water.