A CELEBRATION was transformed into a horrific tragedy on the Indus on Monday as an overloaded boat filled with wedding guests capsized in the river. As per reports, a wedding party was returning from Rojhan in southern Punjab to the Machka area of Sadiqabad when the calamity struck. The guests were aboard boats to make the river crossing, though one of the vessels was dangerously overloaded as over 100 passengers were piled on to it. At least 21 fatalities have been confirmed — mostly of women and children — and the search for survivors and bodies continued on Tuesday.

The unfortunate truth is that we as a society fail to learn any lessons from such calamities. Loading such a large number of passengers onto a boat was inviting trouble, and it is highly doubtful that any safety gear, such as life jackets, was available. What made the rescue operation even more difficult is the remoteness of the location, as mobile coverage was reportedly unavailable in the area. The transport problem of the population of this riverine area is compounded by the fact that bridges to cross the Indus are at some distance, while many spots are infested with bandits, leaving few safe options to cross the mighty river. Both the Punjab and Sindh governments that share the riverine area must look into creating safe ways for communities to cross the water. Moreover, awareness campaigns should be launched to educate local communities about the dangers of travelling on overloaded or insecure vessels. Overall, there needs to be more emphasis on promoting a culture of safety nationally. Whether it is tragedies such as the boat incident, horrible traffic accidents due to overloaded vehicles or rash driving, the collapse of hazardous buildings or other avoidable calamities, safety seems to be on the bottom of the list of priorities for both the people and the state. This apathetic attitude must change in order to save precious lives. There can be no shortcuts when it comes to safety.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2022