Search for bodies continues in Tarbela boat tragedy

Relatives of missing persons stage protest against lack of facilities

HARIPUR: The search operation for missing persons has been expedited for the fourth day in Tarbela Lake. The local Rescue 1122 team head told The Express Tribune on Saturday, that despite the fact that the army and various other departments are carrying out the search operation in a 15 kilometres (km) radius of the area, no signs of any bodies have been found.

Meanwhile, the relatives of the missing person in the lake have staged a protest against the district administration Haripur for failing to provide any facilities to affected families on the site.

Moreover, Khalabat Township Nazim Samiullah Khan has been working shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan Army divers looking for missing bodies in the lake. Khan an expert diver has also put his boats in the operation as a community service.

Moreover, the local people lauded the KTS Youth Welfare Association for arranging drinking water and food for the distraught people along the lake. The local welfare organisation was utilising its own resources and whatever funds they could generate to assist the grieving people who were waiting for the bodies of their loved ones.

Search for remaining boat tragedy victims continues

The Rescue 1122 senior official has told the express tribune that over 30 personnel of the rescue team, three boats, two ambulances and two water rescue vans have been utilised in the operation on the fourth day in the boat sinking site. He added that divers from Peshawar, Haripur, Nowshera, and Abbottabad are part of the team.

The source also said that Chief Minister (CM) Mahmood Khan personally monitored the operation and asked the team to update his office by each day’s end. He also appreciated the local assistance in the operation.

Meanwhile, the locals and relatives of the missing persons in Tarbela Lake have staged a strong protest against the district administration for proving zero facilities and spending nights on the bank of the sinking point under the sky.

 

The locals have told The Express Tribune that the CM and his ministers have visited the site, but have not shared sympathies with the bereaved families during the visit and rejected the provincial government official’s suggestion to give cash as temporary consolation to the families.  The families demanded the recovery of the dead bodies of their loved ones.

No district administration officer or other senior provincial level officers have visited the site, they said adding that they were provided clean drinking water, but other than that they were on site on a self-help basis. They also appreciated ex-MPA Guhar Nawaz for staying with the families for the fourth day. 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 7^th, 2019.