DERA GHAZI KHAN: At least five persons, including two children, drowned when a tractor-trolley carrying 47 devotees to Hazrat Sakhi Sarwar shrine from Choti Zaireen, plunged into the DG Khan Canal, while 15 others were feared drowned.

According to officials, locals and Rescue 1122 divers recovered 27 people alive from the canal, along with five bodies, while 15 others were still missing and feared to have drowned till the filing of this report.

As per local police and Rescue 1122 officials, as many as 47 people, mostly from the same extended family, including women and children, hailing from Ahmed Khan Sahani village of Choti Zaireen and surrounding areas, were on their way to the shrine of Hazrat Sakhi Sarwar to attend the saint’s Urs celebrations, on a tractor-trolley.

When the tractor-trolley reached near Hadyani village, it plunged into the DG Canal, that flows parallel to the road.

Search on for 15 missing passengers

As a result five members of a family, including two children, drowned while 27 of the passengers were rescued by locals and Rescue 1122 teams that rushed to the scene on being informed of the incident.

According to Regional Emergency Officer Dr Natiq Hayat Ghalzai, rescuers, including personnel of the Pakistan Army and Punjab police, were looking for 15 of the passengers, who were still missing and feared drowned.

Mr Ghazali said Rescue 1122 teams from other districts, including Multan, Layyah, and Muzaffargarh were also called to join the search operation.

South Punjab Primary and Secondary Health Care Secretary Muhammad Iqbal has expressed his deep sorrow at the tragic incident and offered condolences over the deaths.

He issued special instructions to the DG Khan District Health Authority (DHA) chief executive officer (CEO) for provision of all possible medical facilities free of cost to the persons injured in the incident and said they should provided special care till their full recovery.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2023