Five drown in Ghandaka floodwaters

QUETTA: Five flood-stricken people of a family, including two women, drowned while two children went missing after a rescue boat sank in submerged Ghandaka in Jaffarabad district.

According to sources, a rescue boat of a private NGO was taking the 30 marooned people to Goth Mohammad Jamali in Ghandaka, when it sank in the middle of floodwaters. Consequently, three men and two women drowned and two children went missing. Fortunately, 23 people were rescued. The local people fished out the five bodies. The deceased have been identified as Mahi Johi, Saima, Saleem Ahmed, Karam Allah and Manzoor Ahmed.

The water level in different villages of Ghandaka is still stated to be 10 to 12 feet high, with hundreds of people marooned. The government rescue workers and officials reached the site after being informed about the incident and launched the rescue effort.

According to local people, the incident took place due to overloading.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2010.