FAISALABAD, Feb 16: Four people were feared drowned when they fell into a ditch filled with water after a breach occurred in Abdullahpur Canal on Friday night.

DCO Mohammad Amin in a press note said the Abdullahpur Canal had a breach on Friday night and its water flowed into the under-construction underpass. Owing to this the mud and accumulated water developed into a quagmire. He said hearing about the breach some people of the locality rushed to the spot and observed the situation by standing on a pile of the soil that was weak owing to the erosion.

He quoted police sources as saying that four people of the nearby colony went missing and their search was under way. The canal had been closed and staff of Rescue 1122, Communication and Works, Wasa, TMA and irrigation department summoned for the operation to search the missing people.

The DCO said the incident took place because of the under canal “thrust boring” of the main pipeline of Wasa.

Eyewitness Usman Ali told reporters that the district administration made an announcement through a local mosque informing people to stay away from the ditch at street No 8. He said some of the people reached near the ditch to observe the situation and five fell into the ditch, however, one Tahir had been rescued by locals.

Area people criticising the administration told Dawn that four people were missing and they could have been saved if the administration had started rescue operation immediately. They said water also flowed into nearby localities, however, no loss occurred.

Furious people also tried to attack the DCO when he reached the spot. The police were called to avoid any mishap.

Nisar Ahmed, resident of the area, said the incident happened as the administration used substandard material in the construction. He said the administration did not erect any barrier to caution the people to stay away from the ditch.

The DCO said neither substandard material was used in the construction of the underpass nor its structure was weak.

Rescue 1122 staff continued operation to search the missing ones and could not trace them after 18-hour efforts. Accumulated water had been sucked from the ditch where the people fell and mud was being removed till the filing of the report at 7:30pm.

Machinery has also been called from the Lahore administration.

The Punjab government has sought report of the incident within three days.