SANGHAR, April 8: Family of the Feb 25 rickshaw tragedy victims is still to get any help from the government or an NGO.

Nine members of the Hindu family drowned when the motorcycle rickshaw they were travelling in plunged into Mithrao Canal near Kandiari town on February 25 because of the dilapidated condition of the canal bridge.

Nine officials of the irrigation and highway department were booked for ignoring the maintenance of the bridge, but none of them has so far been arrested despite court orders.

The bridge was dismantled a couple of days after the tragedy. Now boats ply to cross the canal and carry about 800 to 1,000 people.

The bridge linked more than 100 villages with the Kandiari and Perumal towns. Boatmen are charging Rs10 per head for a trip.

An FIR was registered at the Perumal police station on April 6 on the orders of additional district and sessions judge Sanghar against nine highways and irrigation officials.

Meanwhile, a large number of people and political activists gathered at the site of the accident and paid homage to victims and placed roses at the place.

Later, they marched up to Kandiari press club where they urged the government to arrest the officials accused of negligence. They also sought compensation for the family.

This correspondent visited the house of one of victims near Kandiari, 35 kilometres off Sanghar. Devan Kumar said his only daughter Priya, 4, and wife Tiloshina, 35, lost their lives. He said, he was looking after his mother, ailing since the tragedy.

But, thanked Ms Quratul Ain Mari, sister of provincial information minister Shazia Mari, who provided them meal for three days after the tragedy and gave Rs10,000 each to survivors.

He regretted that Rs100,000 compensation announced by provincial adviser Haleem Adil Shaikh for the affected family during his visit to the area was yet to be paid to the affected people who made several visits to Karachi.