KHAIRPUR: Two girls drowned after a boat, which was carrying flood-hit villagers in submerged riverine area near Pir Jo Goth to safety, capsized in the Indus on Thursday. 

The residents of Mor Jhabbir Shaikh village were trying to move out of the village after the swollen river inundated their houses and farmland in the riverine area when the boat suddenly capsized. The girls identified as Laila and Sindhu Shaikh drowned and their bodies were taken out by the area people. 

The survivors said that after the river overtopped and inundated their houses, they decided to move out to safety but unfortunately met this accident. They did not receive any help from the administration after the accident, they complained. 

Khairpur Deputy Commissioner Ahmed Ali Qureshi held the villagers responsible for the accident and said they had overloaded the boat, causing it to capsize. The district administration had requested the villagers to vacate their houses and shift to safe places after flood warnings were issued but they had refused, he said.

Earlier, the DC along with district health officer visited Rural Health Centre in Pir Jo Goth and inquired after the health of the boat survivors.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2020