Flood ‘14: 20 drown as boat capsizes in swollen Chenab

Boat was carrying a couple, other members of a wedding party; efforts on to save Muzaffargarh city.

MULTAN:

Tragedy struck a wedding party on Sunday just as the authorities made desperate efforts to save Muzaffargarh city from the flood-swollen Chenab River, eclipsing in part the valiant struggle by civil and military officials to spare residents and their lands from the raging floodwaters.

Twenty people, including a bridegroom, drowned when a boat carrying a wedding party capsized in rough waters in a flooded rural area near Shershah dyke. Another 18 people were rescued in a 12-hour-long operation involving helicopters and divers of the army and navy.

Muhammad Zahid, who married Mashal three days ago, chartered a boat to carry the couple and their families to their Valima in the Muzaffarabad area. Some of their relatives were on board another boat and the two were moving almost side by side. The boat, which was carrying the couple and another 28 people, went down as it attempted to cross the flooded river.

Rescuers and relatives in the second boat immediately jumped into the rough waters to save the people before army and navy helicopters and divers could reach the site. “We have recovered more bodies. The death toll has now risen to 17, two women were among the dead,” a senior rescue official said, adding that another three persons were missing and believed dead. Eighteen people, including the bride, were rescued.

Ashiq Malik, the medical superintendent of the Nishtar Hospital, said the bodies of two children and bridegroom Muhammad Zahid, 27, were brought there. “I saved my life by holding on to an electricity pole,” the distraught bride, Mashal, told reporters after the tragedy.

Jam Sajjad Hussain, a spokesman for Rescue 1122, claimed the wedding party wanted to the charter the boat despite warnings about the dangerously high waters.

“The family requested to cross the flooded river in the boat and were refused by military officials several times but they kept insisting,” he said. “The waves were moving fast and the family and other people panicked. They were asked to remain calm but they continued to panic, causing the boat to become unbalanced and capsize.”

The rescue operation by Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy, involving Zulu boats, Alouette helicopters and specialised divers, continued for over 12 hours. A non-commissioned officer of the army, Naib Subedar Anaab Gul, also drowned while rescuing members of the wedding party.

On the other hand, the civil and military authorities were making desperate efforts to save Muzaffargarh and Multan cities. Nearly 700,000 people have evacuated their villages in Muzaffargarh district to dry grounds during the last 48 hours.

Shershah dyke gave in to the mounting pressure in the swollen Chenab River and developed at least 20 breaches which were immediately plugged by army troops. After the Athara Hazari dyke was dynamited, the authorities expected 600,000 cusecs of water in the Chenab River at Multan. However, 800,000 cusecs of water reached Multan from Trimmu Headworks on Sunday.

Doaaba dyke, which serves as a bulwark for Muzaffargarh district against floods, was dynamited twice on Sunday after floodwater swamped some urban areas of the district. Initially, floodwater was released into Taliri Canal – but when the canal burst its banks the authorities decided to breach Doaba dyke.

Floodwater eroded five dykes near Taliri and Ringpur Canals during the last 24 hours. Bakhtiyari dyke was breached in Uch Sharif sub-district of Bahawalpur district late Saturday night near Panjnad Headworks submerging almost 30 villages and displacing 12,000 people. Panjnad Headworks will be bracing for 450,000 cusecs of water on Monday after 23 dykes and embankments were breached in Muzaffargarh, Multan and Bahawalpur districts.

Seetpur Town of Muzaffargarh submerged after a dyke gave in to the pressure of floodwater, leaving 50,000 people in 80 villages shelter-less. Zameendara dyke, another main protection wall in Alipur sub-district collapsed near Malik Araiyn, displacing 15,000 people in 10 villages.

Local administrations in South Punjab districts appear to be helpless due to a paucity of resources and lack of planning. Locals are plugging the breaches and repairing dykes on a self-help basis.

Shuajabad sub-district of Multan was also facing serious threats from floodwater after two bridges collapsed and five dykes breached. Shujabad Canal that protects the eponymous sub-district and urban areas of Multan from floods is also brimming over.

Shaukat Ali, the district coordination officer of Muzaffargarh, claimed that the district was safe and that Doaba dyke was breached to save the city. He added that 120 villages have so far submerged, uprooting 100,000 people from their homes. Kaali Bridge has been closed for traffic in Muzaffargarh after it developed four gashing cracks.

Pakistan Army has evacuated the populations within a radius of half a kilometre of all dykes and embankments where explosives have been planted along the banks of the Chenab River up till Panjnad Headworks and onwards.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15^th, 2014.