MANSEHRA/TIMERGARA: A woman and her cousin drowned in Kunhar River in Balakot while taking selfies on Saturday.

“A woman who was taking selfies at a rock slipped and fell into the Kunhar River. Her cousin jumped in to rescue her but he was also swept away,” Arshad Khan, SHO Balakot, told reporters at the scene.

According to police, Rashida Hanif and her family hailing from Multan was on a recreational trip to Kaghan valley. On way back to home, Ms Hanif and her maternal cousin, Sohail Qaiser, started taking selfies while standing at a rock along the riverbank, but the woman slipped into the river. To save her, her cousin also jumped in, only to be swept away by strong currents.

The local divers fished out the bodies and handed them over to their family.

The SHO Balakot said despite warnings the people were going close to the waters and taking selfies putting their lives in danger.

It is to be recalled here that a doctor, his wife and their daughter, also from Punjab, drowned in the same river earlier this week while taking selfies.

Meanwhile, a six-year old boy drowned in the Panjkora River in Timergara on Saturday.

Local people said the minor boy was playing along with other children on the riverbank at Zulam wherein he slept and drowned.

Locals kept trying for hours to search the boy, but his body could not be found till filing of this report on Saturday night. The victim was named Shahan of Tarai Timergara.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2016