Dozens feared dead as passenger boat capsizes near Nankana Sahib

Sources say around 150 people were travelling on boat which capsized due to overloading at 12 pm

LAHORE: Dozens of people went missing on Friday as a passenger boat capsized in Ravi River near Syed Wala in Nankana Sahib.

“Around 150 people were travelling on the boat which capsized due to overloading at 12 pm,” an eyewitness, who was aboard the boat at the time of the incident, told The Express Tribune.

Rescue operations are being conducted at River Ravi near Nankana Sahib where a passenger boat drowned on Friday, February 3, 2017. PHOTO: EXPRESS

“Some people came out of the river on their own or with the help of locals but the rest have drowned,” he said, adding it took over an hour for rescuers to arrive at the scene.

PHOTO: EXPRESS

Rescue 1122 officials, who were taking part in the search and rescue operations, said no victims have been recovered yet.



There were conflicting reports regarding casualties with some even saying as many as 50 people, including women and children, have drowned.

Earlier, while talking to The Express Tribune, a police official at the sight said there were no casualties and everyone had come out of the river. “There are no casualties. Everyone has been rescued,” he said, adding “people of the area use boats to travel from one shore to another.”

Last month, the Pakistan Navy’s rescue team saved 18 fishermen from a fishing boat in distress near the Ormara Coast. According to a press release issued by the Navy, the fishing vessel ‘Al-Rehman’ had sailed from Karachi on Dec 25 with 18 fishermen on-board. The vessel lost propulsion after both of its engines became defective.

The Navy’s Jinnah Naval Base Ormara received a distress signal saying that the boat was heavily flooded and would sink with the 18 fishermen on-board if it was not rescued. After receiving the message the Navy’s rescue team was promptly dispatched to the scene.



During the operation the rescue team had to face heavy swells, strong chilly winds and had extremely poor visibility throughout the operation. The rescue mission was overseen by the Commander of the Jinnah Naval Base personally on-board the rescue craft.  After nearly 3-hours of teamwork all the 18 fishermen were rescued from the sinking boat.