MUZAFFARGARH, Oct 21: A committee tasked with probing into the capsizing of a boat in the river Chenab on Aug 14, wherein six people died, has submitted its report to the district coordination officer (DCO).
Muzaffargarh DCO Dr Akhtar Nazir Warraich made the probe committee, head by Executive District Officer (Revenue) Dr Waseem Shamshad, to ascertain the people or departments responsible for the tragic incident.
The report fingers three individuals and two departments –- Civil Defence and Sadar Police Station -– for the tragedy.
The individuals are: Malik Tariq Hasan, Mureed Husain Baloch and Muhammad Shafi.
Mr Hassan is the land owner, where from the boats were being operated on the day of the incident. Mr Baloch was contractor of boats and he had got the land on lease from Mr Hasan. Mr Shafi is an employee of the Civil Defence Department.
The report said that Shafi had employed his cousins Nasir and Arif to operate boats here. On behalf of Shafi, they operated boats, saying they were doing the business with the permission of the Civil Defence.
The report says no police or Civil Defence officials were present along the river bank on the day of the incident.
But according to Mr Tariq, he leased his land for a year and it was up to the contractor how he used the land.
Police and Civil Defence personal says that before the capsizing of the boat, Ghaffar had drowned in the river at some distance from the Chenab Park and all police and Civil Defence staff were trying to rescue the drowning man. They say that in their absence, Arif and Nasir overloaded the boat.
The people who drowned were from Multan. Up to 12 people hired the boat to cross the river as the Chenab Bridge was jammed. The boat capsized due to overloading resulting in the deaths of: Umair, Muhammad Zubair, Naveed Ahmad, Abdul Hameed, Faheem and Mushtaq.
The report suggests that police and Civil Defence officials be deployed permanently at the park to stop illegal boating, and life-saving jackets should be given to Civil Defence officials.
The DCO said he would take appropriate measures under the light of the report. He said he had asked Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi to compensate the bereaved families.