Four drown as boat capsizes near Haripur

15 passengers rescued so far as many casualties feared

HARIPUR: At least four people drowned and 15 were rescued after a boat carrying around 40 passengers capsized in Tarbela Lake in the Barg Dabderi area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Haripur district on Wednesday.

According to officials, the boat overturned at around 1pm and the rescue operation, in which the military is also participating, has been suspended till Thursday morning after a gruelling 10 hours because of poor visibility for divers in the darkness.

The boat was en route to Haripur from the Dedal Kamach area of Shangla when it went down in Burg Dabderi village in the Union Council Nara Amazai. The passengers were mostly residents of nearby villages.

Abdul Rasheed, a local government official, confirmed that the bodies of three children and a woman had been fished out.

“The bodies have been transferred to Haripur,” he told reporters. “The children are aged between five and seven years,” he added.

Rescuers were dispatched as soon as the incident was reported but the difficult mountainous terrain delayed the response.

Divers from Peshawar, Mardan and other adjoining areas were called in. Two helicopters and divers of the Pakistan Army are also participating in the operation.

The military’s media said it had dispatched 24 SSG deep sea divers to the scene.

There are conflicting reports about the number of passengers on the boat.

The boat was carrying over 100 passengers as well as cattle,” the union council secretary told The Express Tribune.

Some sources also said the death toll had reached six.

Haripur District Commissioner Arifullah said that the exact number of passengers in the boat could not be determined yet.

“A medical center has been set up established in Padhana under the supervision of the additional deputy commissioner,” he added.

The Haripur District Headquarters Hospital medical superintendent said an emergency had been declared in the facility. “Doctors and paramedical staff have been directed to immediately report for duty,” he added.

Four union councils of Haripur are located on the right bank of Indus River, now separated by Tarbela Lake.

From May to September, the water level rises at Judba tehsil in Torghar and parts of Martung Tehsil of Shangla. Locals depend on boats to cross to the other side.

From October to April, locals face further problems as the water level in the lake recedes, leaving behind a marshland.