Tarbela boat operator booked for negligence

HARIPUR: Rescue workers kept looking for the bodies of around 20 missing people for the third day on Friday in frigid conditions and high rapids in the Tarbela Lake without any success. Meanwhile, Haripur police have booked the boat’s operator for the disaster.

Rescue workers and members of the Pakistan Army resumed their search on Friday morning. However, the difficult terrain of the banks and rapids made the search operation difficult.

The rescue team in charge told The Express Tribune that they were canvassing a suspected area and conducting ‘line search’.

However, he said that owing to the heavy flow of water in Tarbela Lake, it was possible that the water could deposit bodies further downstream. He confirmed that they have found the sunken boat but it seems it was stuck on something which was preventing them from raising it to the surface.

“There could be a mud mountain, quicksand or something else which could be holding the boat down,” he said.

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The rescue official further continued that fast winds and frigid temperatures at the bottom of the lake were preventing their divers from staying in the water for too long. He further said that around 30 rescue workers in three boats, two ambulances, and three divers are participating in the operation.

Contradicting earlier claims from the district officials, the rescue worker said that per data available with them, they were looking for around 20 bodies, including 12 men, five women, and three children.

Boat operator blames raging waters

Boat operator Nasibullah and conductor Muhammad Tufail — who apparently survived the boat capsizing — have in video statement stated that the accident took place owing to the raging waters in the lake.

“There were gale-force winds on the day while the boat got stuck which caused it to capsize,” Nasibullah stated. Some people jumped, others were thrown into the raging waters.

He claimed to have tried his best to save as many people as he could and did manage to save some 15 people.

Nasibullah claimed that he had been operating a boat in the lake for the past 15 years. Like always, he did not take on more than 40 passengers and some livestock.

“I have taken even more passengers all the way to Haripur,” he claimed.

The Naramzai police of Haripur, though, have registered a case against the boat operator and have formed teams to arrest him.

The FIR states that the boat capsized due to overloading and negligence of the boat operator. 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 6^th, 2019.