CHARSADDA: Timely action by the district administration saved 15 people trapped in the Swat River at Munda after a sudden rise in water levels, officials said on Friday.
Deputy Commissioner Azmatullah Khan Wazir said that 15 persons had entered the river to collect wood when the flow intensified, leaving them stranded midstream. The rescue teams, he said, launched an immediate operation and successfully brought all of them to safety.
Following the incident, several people were sent to jail for violating Section 144, which bans entering rivers during the flood season.The Swat River at Munda was recorded in a high-flood state with water discharge reaching 85,000 cusecs. The rising waters inundated houses in low-lying areas and damaged several acres of crops along the riverbanks. In light of the situation, the district administration has advised residents of vulnerable areas to relocate to safer places as a precautionary measure.