THATTA, Pakistan — Hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis were fleeing floodwaters Friday after the surging River Indus smashed through levees in two places, but many refused to leave the danger zone while others took shelter in an ancient graveyard for Muslim saints.More than 8 million people are in need of emergency assistance across the country. Around 175,000 people are believed to have fled their homes overnight in the southern city of Thatta after the levee protecting the city was breached, said Manzoor Sheikh, a senior government official. Authorities were trying to repair the levee, about 75 miles (125 kilometers) southeast of the major coastal city of Karachi.
“The situation is getting worse,” said local disaster official Hadi Baksh Kalhoro. “The water is flowing into a nearby canal endangering Thatta city.”
A second breach occurred in the Soorjani levee in the same region, said Gulab Shah, who is helping relief efforts.
“It is beyond control now,” he said. “Thousands of people are sitting with their cattle and belongings and their lives are in danger. They are not willing to leave.”
U.N. spokesman Maurizio Giuliano said about 1 million people have been displaced in Thatta and Qambar-Shadadkot districts since Wednesday.