Poor rescue services?: Six of a family perish in accident

Car swerves into roadside well as driver negotiated a turn.

TIMERGARA: Six members of a family were killed when their car fell into a large roadside well in Danoh, Lower Dir on Saturday afternoon. Afterwards, locals at the scene expressed their concerns over the lack of requisite rescue equipment in the district.

An official of Timergara police said the family, travelling in a non-customs paid car, was en route from Chakyatan in Upper Dir to Sakhakot in Malakand Division. They were making a trip to offer condolences upon the death of one of their relatives in Sakhakot.

The policeman said the vehicle was driven by Bacha Zada and his wife, two brothers, a son and a sister were also in the car. As the car reached Danoh, Zada lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a turn and swerved into a roadside well.

Nearby locals, police and rescue teams reached the site and tried to remove the bodies from the well. According to a policeman, without adequate facilities, the rescue teams took several hours to pull the remains out.

After the bodies of Bacha Zada, Gul Zamin, Rehman Muhammad, Sherzamin, Rukhsana and Bacha were removed, they were taken to District Headquarters Hospital Lower Dir for an autopsy. The remains were later handed over to their family.

Residents who helped the emergency workers in the rescue operation expressed their concern over the lack of attention from district administration officials who neglected to visit the site. It is worrying to realise the district is not equipped for all kinds of rescue work, they said.

Officials take note

Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has asked the district administration to conduct an investigation into the causes behind the accident and affix responsibility for any negligence if any found.

This was stated in a handout issued on Sunday. Khattak directed prompt action be taken for rescue and recovery in such incidents.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2014.