SIALKOT, Oct 5: Nineteen picnickers were feared drowned when a boat carrying 25 members of a family capsized in River Chenab at the Marala Headworks, 25km from here, on Sunday evening. Six people were rescued by divers.

According to irrigation officials based at Marala, the family of Imtiaz Ghuman hailing from Gueinky (Sialkot) hired a boat of the Chenab Rangers. The boat, which was too small to accommodate the 25-member family, capsized in deep waters.

The jawans of Chenab Rangers jumped in and rescued six people. The bodies of five children, a woman, and two men were also fished out.

The search for the missing was continuing till late in night.

The bodies were brought to the Allama Iqbal Memorial DHQ Hospital for autopsy. Two of them were identified as Neha, 5, and Iftikhar Ghuman, 45.