THATTA, Aug 20: With the Indus river swelling to 595,0039 cusecs on Friday afternoon 55 more villages were submerged, a 40-foot apron was washed away and erosion started at stone-pitching at Monarki, one of the most vulnerable protective bund on the left bank in Thatta district.

The villages that submerged on Friday included 15 villages near Belo town, 20 villages close to Surja forest and 20 villages of Shoro and Mallah communities.

The irrigation experts claimed that owing to comparative shallow passage of river width, measuring not over half a kilometre at this point, floodwater would definitely develop high pressure on the vulnerable Monarki site and might be able to breach it.

The water was seeping through Surjani protective bund and the chairman of Flood Monitoring Committee visited erosion site at MS bund.

Meanwhile, Lalu Mallah, 40, died of gastroenteritis at a relief camp set up at the guide bank near Sujawal-Thatta bridge.

The district administration dismantled over 50 private bunds raised by influential persons in the kutcha area to protect their agricultural fields.

Thatta DCO has imposed section 144 and handed over administration of vulnerable bunds Monarki and Surjani to Pak Army and Hilaya Sonda dyke to Rangers.