KOHAT: The death toll from the Tanda Dam lake boat capsize tragedy climbed to 37 as 20 more bodies of seminary students were recovered during the search operation on Monday.

Seventeen bodies were recovered during the operation, which began immediately after the incident on Sunday morning, and continued till late night. The sailor was also among the dead.

There were still 21 more pupils being assumed dead after the operation was abandoned on Monday night. The operation would start again on Tuesday morning, a volunteer, Shakir Bangash, told Dawn.

The count of the dead was based on the information given by the caretaker of Mir Bashkhel seminary, Shahid Noor, who survived the tragedy, but lost his two sons and four nephews. He said on Monday that at least 59 seminary children were in the boat when it capsized.

Meanwhile, funeral prayers of 17 seminary students were held on Monday morning.

The Kohat division commissioner, deputy commissioner, district police officer, army officials, and a large number of local people attended the funeral prayers. Separately, Shahid Noor, the caretaker of the seminary, on Monday got registered an FIR against the irrigation department officials for negligence.

In the FIR, he held the executive engineer, sub-divisional officer and a sub-engineer of the department responsible for the incident.

He alleged that there were no divers or rescue emergency arrangements at the lake. He further alleged that the boat sailed north, but after reaching the centre of the lake, it capsised due to overloading.

Meanwhile, people staged a demonstration on Monday, demanding suspension of the deputy commissioner as he failed to put in place standard operating procedures at the lake, including providing divers, Rescue 1122 units, and life jackets. They demanded an inquiry to punish those responsible.

They termed the dam a deathtrap, where hundreds of people had drowned, including seven women and two young men recently

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2023