Gone in an instant

Single family lost six members in the boat accident in Thatta on Thursday

KARACHI: The boat that overturned on Thursday near Thatta was carrying 25 members of a single family, six of whom lost their lives.

Eyewitnesses recounted sights of horror, including the last moments of victims who struggled to stay afloat. "It was an unimaginable scene," recalled an eyewitness.

The ferryman quickly swam ashore, leaving the passengers helplessly clutching each other in an attempt to save themselves. Owners of the boat overloaded the small vessel with 150 passengers in a bid to make even more money.

The boat was travelling to the Meenhan Pathai shrine and also carried 25 members of a family from Gadap Town in Karachi.

While most of the family members were rescued, six people lost their lives. The dead include Hajra, Saba, Karam Khatoon, Mehek, Kareem Baksh and Abu Bakar. The family resided in Khamiso Khan Jhokio Goth in Karachi's Gadap Town. The neighbourhood was overcome with grief and tears when the bodies arrived in the small village. No officials from either the city or district government attended the funeral.



Abbas, an eyewitness who was standing at the shore when the boat capsized, said the passengers started to panic the moment the boat’s forward section began to sink. "The boat soon became unbalanced and capsized," he narrated. "All the passengers sank in a flash and were heard shouting for help. The children onboard were completely submerged when the boat overturned."

Local residents immediately gathered and began rescue operations. They also transported the injured and dead to the nearest hospital. Ambulances arrived at least two hours after the incident - the first being a Benazir Income Support Programme van followed soon after by Edhi Foundation ambulances.

The dead and injured were later shifted to various hospitals in Karachi.

Families torn apart

Each household that lost their loved ones has a different story to tell.
Karam, who lost his beloved wife, is still traumatised by this experience. He still feels acute pain if someone even mentions his wife. Karam said he had a happy family and was content with his life before the tragedy. Now, he has to raise six children on his own.
Though his pain has not subsided, Karam's tears have dried up. After days of mourning, it is as if he has no more tears left to shed.
Hajra, another victim, left behind a son. Before leaving for her trip, she asked her son to accompany her but he refused. His refusal still haunts him.



Hajra's brother, Allah Baksh, said she was his only sister. She had asked him to accompany her as well, but he too refused. This family is mired in regret, wishing they could turn back time and go with Hajra.

Greedy owners

The greed of the boat owners resulted in a tragedy that claimed the lives of a number of innocent people. They used a small boat made using a tree trunk to transport visitors. They used to charge double the fare from passengers and had loaded 150 people on the boat that fateful day.

The boat itself, apart from being too small to transport so many passengers, had no safety precautions. It was open from all sides.
Most boat owners in the area are fishermen who use their boats as ferries to make extra money. However, there is no getting around these boat owners, as the shrine can only be reached via one road.