MUZAFFARABAD: As many as 125 people, including women and children, were safely rescued from Mangla Dam on Thursday night after a sudden thunderstorm disrupted their return journey from Ramkot Fort, an official said on Friday.

According to Mirpur SSP Khurram Iqbal, the group had travelled to Ramkot Fort for a day-long outing on a locally desi­gned floating transport platform. The platform, operated with the help of boats, has a capacity of around 100 passengers.

Ramkot Fort is a 16th-century fortified structure featuring around 440 stairs to reach the top, offering panoramic views of Mangla Lake, which surrounds it on three sides.

The group, comprising employees of a life insurance company and their families from Mirpur and adjoining districts, had taken nearly three hours to reach the historic site. They were returning around 8pm when a severe thunderstorm, accompanied by torrential rain and strong winds, struck the area.

The SSP said the adverse weather caused the floating platform to lose stability and drift within the reservoir, sparking panic among the passengers. One of the stranded picnickers contacted him, prompting an immediate emergency response.

Police, Rescue 1122 and two private teams of swimmers were mobilised within 20 minutes and reached the scene to launch the rescue operation.

Initial efforts focused on stabilising the platform, after which boats were used to ferry around 40 people to safety along the dam’s bank in the first phase.

Rescue teams continued operations under difficult conditions to evacuate the remaining passengers.

The SSP confirmed the entire group was safely evacuated between 9:30pm and 10pm after more than an hour of sustained efforts.

He noted the potential for disaster, comparing the situation to recent fatal river accidents in the country. Fortunately, there was no loss of life, as timely action prevented what could have been a major tragedy, he said.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2026