Ten-year-old drowns in Ravi River

Rescue workers manage to save another minor

While washing animals, one girl drowned in the River Ravi while another was saved by rescue workers.

According to the incident, 10-year-olds Rubina and Rukhsana took buffaloes near Mari Patan Bridge on the River Ravi for washing them. In the meantime, they went into deep water and struggled to get back to safety. Seeing them drowning, passersby informed the rescue crew. The rescue divers arrived at the scene.

They managed to rescue Rubina alive and rushed her to the hospital. Later, Rukhsana’s body was found after several hours of search. A news report published last year quoting official figures said that two lives were lost daily on an average in cases of drowning across the province.

Due to negligence of the citizens, the authorities, or both, at least 500 people lost their lives due to drowning throughout Punjab in as many as 883 incidents reported last year, the data available with The Express Tribune had shown.

Over four drowning emergencies were reported in the province daily during the period. The data showed at least one incident of drowning took place every week in every third district of Punjab. Over 30 cases of drowning took place in 12 of the 36 districts of the province by July 25 last year.