KARACHI, June 1: Hundreds of people thronged Edhi morgue soon after receiving the news of the tragedy at Keenjhar Lake where more than two scores of men, women and children — all related to each other — drowned when the boat carrying them capsized on Sunday.
In all 38 people, residing in Federal B Area’s block 21 and Jaffar-i-Tayyar Society, Malir, had set off to the lake in Thatta for a picnic in a hired van early Sunday. They boarded a ferry for a ride which capsized. Many of the occupants drowned.
Till our going to press, 25 bodies had arrived at the Edhi morgue at Sohrab Goth where hundreds of people were still waiting for the remaining bodies and further information about the tragedy and the victims.
Emotional scenes were witnessed as relatives of the victims broke down with the arrival of the first convoy of ambulances carrying five bodies at the morgue.
The mourners started screaming uncontrollably upon receiving the bodies Qamar Zehra, Nida Zehra, 16, Kausar Zaidi, 8, Shehla and Farhat.
Rizwan Edhi who rushed to the lake for rescue and relief operation told Dawn that a total of 25 bodies were fished out from the lake. He was accompanying the last convoy of ambulances carrying three bodies.
Mr Afzal, a picnicker who accompanied Rizwan Edhi, told Dawn that he and his associates had proceeded to the Keenjhar lake along with Abul Hasan Scouts.
He said that they saw some people wailing and begging for the rescueof their family members. However, he added, certain boat operators were busy bargaining, seeking Rs500 to 1,000 for diving into the lake and fishing out the bodies or survivors.
He said that some people, finally, went ahead and managed to rescue some of the drowning people, though the delay in managing transport means to rush them to any hospital led to death of several women and children.
However, he revealed, there was a miraculous rescue of an infant by a diver. Afzal said: “I felt pleased seeing the rescued baby in the lap of his mother.”
Having learnt about the tragic incident, the victims’ family members, friends and other people from Jaffar-i-Tayyar Society reached the Edhi Centre.
A large number of residents of adjoining Block-20, F. B. Area, also assembled at the morgue where bodies of Aliya Ali, 8, Waseem, 14, Naqi Abbas, 35, Nargis Fatima, 22, Farhat, 10, Mustafa, 7, Shahida Fatima, Zain, 8, Raisa, 10, Hina, 10, Huma, 18, Shehla 35, Farhat Fatima, Abbas Haider, 11, Khushnood Fatima, 28, Hameedun Nisa, 70, Tahreen Zehra, 6, Sabahat Haider, 7, Amber Fatima, 16, all residents of Jaffar-i-Tayyar Society, were brought by mid-night.
The other victims, Qamar Fatima, 35, Nida Zehra, 16 and Kausar Zaidi, 15, belonged to the family of Mr Nazar Abbas, a resident of F. B. Area.
Another three bodies were being shifted to the morgue till filing of this report.
Edhi sources expressed the fear that the final death toll might increase from 25 as a couple of persons were still unaccounted for.
GOVERNOR GRIEVED: Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad and Chief Minister Ali Mohammed Mahar have expressed grief and sorrow over the Keenjhar Lake boat tragedy on Sunday that claimed lives of 18 Karachi-based picnickers, adds APP.
The governor also ordered an inquiry into the incident.
He directed that strict action be taken against people found responsible for negligence and carelessness as a result of the inquiry.
Dr Ibad expressed concern over repeated such incidents and ordered that proper security arrangements should be made at the lake.