HARIPUR, Sept 21: Six children are feared dead as a boat capsized due to overloading in the Tarbela lake on Sunday evening.

Bodies of three of the children — Ayesha Bibi (10 years) and Sundas Bibi (11 years), daughters of Dr Colonel Jawar Bhatti of Islamabad, and Masaib Shah (12 years), son of Nisar Shah — were recovered by the local divers.

However, the bodies of three other children — Aziz, son of Nisar Shah, a three-month-old daughter of Colonel Bhatti, and a seven-year-old (name not known) daughter of Taimur Zaffar — could not be found till the filing of this report.

“About 18 persons had boarded the ill-fated boat, which was beyond its load-carrying capacity,” said an eyewitness Muhammad Idress.

He said the two families were on a picnic. He said the boats were returning back towards the bank of the lake when one of it overturned after losing balance.

Local divers immediately rushed to the spot and rescued about 14 persons.