HARIPUR, Nov 20: The Water and Power Development Authority chairman has ordered a probe into the drowning of six picnickers, including a girl, in the Khanpur Dam last week, sources told Dawn on Saturday.

On Nov 15, the family of Lt-Col Sibtain Rizvi of the Wah Cantonment Board was on picnic at the dam when his daughter, Komal Rizvi, 8, slipped accidentally into the water near the spillway.

The army official, his nephews Shujaat Abbas and Zeshan, brother-in-law Syed Talib Hussain Shah, and other relatives, Shehzad, Usman and Amir Khan jumped into the water to save her. All of them drowned except Lt-Col Rizvi and Amir Khan, who were rescued.

Since the incident took place near the spillway, which was a prohibited area for visitors, the Wapda chairman had appointed some officials of the authority to conduct an inquiry into the incident, sources said.

The inquiry report would be submitted to the chairman within a couple of weeks, they said.