DADU: Seventeen men, women and children were feared drowned when a boat carrying 25 marooned people capsized in Indus River near Bilawalpur village of Sehwan taluka in Jamshoro district on Monday.

District administration and area police said that the small boat was carrying more people than its capacity amid the ongoing panic exodus of families from their destroyed villages to safe places.

They said that rescue operation was started by local divers immediately after report of the incident was received. Later, workers from the district administration, police and Pakistan Navy personnel also joined in the operation.

Eight people were rescued while 13 bodies were fished out till late in the evening. A search for four missing persons was continuing till last reports came in. All the victims were stated to be residents of Bilawalpur village located within Talti union council. The survivors were rushed to the Syed Abdullah Shah Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, Sehwan, for treatment.

The deceased persons were identified as Shabana Rahpoto, 45, wife of Abdul Hameed Rahpoto, and their son, Manzoor, 22; Wakeela Khokhar, 44, wife of Nazeer Khokhar, and their son, Rehan, 8; Zubaida Nonari, 35, wife of Shahmir Nonari, and their son, Shahzor, 8; Sughra Umrani, wife of Gulshan Umrani, and their daughter, Iqra, 15; Resham Khokhar, 45, wife of Ali Nawaz Khokhar, Ms Samina, 48, wife of Mohammad Yaseen, Mohammad Farooq, 25, son of Bhoro, and Mohammad Naseer, 15, son of Manzoor Nonari and Pir Bakhsh Rahpoto.

Director of the institute Dr Moeen Siddiqui said that the survivors were unconscious when they were brought to the hospital.

Area MNA Sardar Sikandar Rahpoto visited the site to supervise the rescue work.

Jamshoro DC retired Captain Fariduddin Mustafa and personal secretary to the CM Saleem Bajari were also present.

Two women drown

Two women drowned in the floodwaters in Farid Khushik village of Kaccho area in Dadu district on Monday.

Area people said that they were on their way to some safe place after leaving their village along with many other people when strong current swept them away.

Local divers fished out their bodies and identified them as Ms Jamal and Ms Nazi.

Rescue teams could not reach the site as they were far away from the spot, they said.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2022