10 drown, eight missing in Indus boat tragedy

SUKKUR: Death toll from a boat accident in the Indus River rose to 10 here on Sunday as rescue teams pulled out four more bodies, identified as Majeed Heesbani, Irshad, Gujjo Mal and Shahnawaz Channo. The search operation was suspended due to lack of facilities of lighting and would resume today to recover the bodies of eight more missing people feared drowned.

The relatives of the victims of the boat protested against the administration of Larkana, especially against the harsh attitude of the DC Larkana towards them. They said that three days had passed to the boat’s drowning, but the administration, instead of speeding up the rescue operation, had arrested the sailors of the boat.

They said that a single naval boat with divers for the last two days was making all kinds of efforts to search the drowned people. However, they said, that they had approached the administration for more rescue teams and installation of searchlights, but no one was bothered. They said that bodies of seven to eight among those who had drowned were missing and their death was apprehended by their relatives.

Commissioner Sukkur Muhammed Abbas Baloch had taken notice of the protest of the relatives of the victims of boat accident, got released their two people and assured them of holding an inquiry into the negligence of the administration of Shikarpur.

It may be mentioned here that three days ago, in the limits of Katcha area of Fatah Pur near Mehar town, the residents of Khairpur and Nausharoferoz District, for attending the Urs celebration of the Muhaban Shah in Dadu District, used a wooden boat as a source of transportation to cross the Indus river to shrine, which overturned.

There were some 40 to 50 villagers, along with eight bikes, on the boat. Nisar Khohro, Senior Minister, on Saturday rushed to the incident place while six to seven dead bodies had been fished out by the marine divers and they were searching for the other missing 13 villagers.

 On that occasion, he directed the administration to ensure the rescue operation and to help the victims of boat as well as the grieving families. He said that the Sindh government would not leave them alone and equally shared grief with the victims’ families and promised financial assistance.