UMERKOT: Six devotees, among them a woman and children, drowned and three survived when their boat capsized in Kelankar lake on their ride back to Khunhar village near Dhoronaro on Monday. They were returning after paying a visit to local saint Seharr Faquir’s shrine across the 70-foot deep lake.

The 14-year-old boy who steered the small wooden boat tried his best to save them but he could rescue only three out of the nine devotees.

Later, local divers together with those called from Sanghar took out the six bodies after hectic efforts of 18 hours and handed them over to heirs. The victims were identified as Samina Nohri, Zulekhan Samejo, Sumera Samejo, Parvez Samejo, Saira Samejo and Rabia Nohri.

The government has recently promoted Kelankar lake as a picnic point where a wooden boat is available but there are no life-jackets, neither is there an adequate road leading to the recreation destination nor a dispensary nearby for providing first aid to victims in the event of accidents.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2023