DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Aug 7: High flood in the Indus has inundated several villages in the Dera Ismail Khan area as troops and police started a rescue operation to evacuate the marooned people, officials said.

Irrigation officials said the flood had started eroding farmland and the authorities had closed the Dera-Zhob road.

The flood has damaged many spurs and the irrigation department has shifted its machinery to the sites to strengthen them.

District Coordination Officer Khudadad Mahsod said he had informed the provincial government about the situation and sought assistance to provide relief to the displaced people.

Officials said water level had increased in the river and troops were evacuating people from the flood-hit villages. A large number of people have moved to safe areas.

An official said more than 550 people had been shifted to safe places. No casualty has been reported.

Flash flood in Kafoor Dehri stream submerged various villages in Metra, Pir Bala and Kafoor Dehri areas of Peshawar district and residents vacated their homes.

Officials said people of the affected areas had been told to move to safe locations.

Our Nowshera correspondent adds: High flood in river Kabul has caused widespread damage in Nowshera district and officials said 300 houses had been damaged. An official said the discharge in the river at Nowshera was 160,000 cusecs and the water level was receding.

The floodwater damaged kutcha houses in Nowshera Kalan and Momine Garhi areas.

Peshawar Corps Commander Lt-Gen Hamid Khan visited the flood-affected areas and directed the district authorities and relief commission to expedite relief activities.

He directed the authorities to provide food items to displaced people and collect data about the damage in order to compensate the affected people. He instructed army rescue teams to help the displaced people.

An ISPR press release said that army teams searched the Hoti bridge area in Mardan for the recovery of remaining body.