HARIPUR: The Nara Amazai police here have registered a case against the boatman for committing Qatle-bis-Sabab (causing death without intention) over the death of scores of passengers of boat which sank on Wednesday near Guliman Banda of Nara Amazai union council in Tarbela Lake, police sources said here on Friday.

According to the police, the boatman could not be arrested as yet as they were busy in rescue operation for the third consecutive day.

At least 40 passengers, including women and children, drowned when a Haripur-bound overloaded boat coming from Judba, the district headquarters of Torghar, sank near Guliman Banda on Wednesday.

Local people recovered four bodies of children while about 10 persons, including the boatman later identified as Naqeebullah, survived the incident. All other passengers are feared dead.

On the complaint of SHO Nara Amazai police station, Tanvir Khan, an FIR has been registered against Naqeebullah under Section 322 of the PPC.

Meanwhile, divers of the Pakistan Army and other departments continued their operation on Friday, but could not recover any of the missing persons.

One of the local divers, Imadadullah, told mediapersons that the heavy flow of water might have swept away most of the bodies downstream.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2019