KOHAT - A boat carrying over two dozen religious seminary students capsized in Kohat’s Tanda Dam on sunday, leaving 11 children dead after they drowned. Deputy commissioner (Dc) Kohat Furqan ashraf confirmed the tragic incident and said that the boat was carrying as many as 30 people and most of them were children.
Dc ashraf said that a team of divers had also been called from Peshawar that will reach the soon. he added that about 16 children who drowned were taken to the hospital while 11 have died.The deputy commissioner also said that Pakistan army’s rescue teams had also reached the site of the incident where relief operations was being carried out. Local police official Mir rauf told media that all of the drowned so far recovered were aged between seven and 14.
A total of 17 were rescued alive from the reservoir by sunday afternoon.
“everything was normal until suddenly the boat overturned,” said 11-year-old survivor Muhammad Mustafa from his hospital bed in the nearby city of Kohat. “i got stuck under the boat,” he told media. “My shawl and sweater weighed me down, so i took them off.”
“The water was extremely cold and my body went numb. i thought i was going to pass out when a man on an inflatable tube saved me.” One of the rescued was a teacher, who remained unconscious as the rescue operation continued for up to three pupils still missing.
The class of madrassa students “went out for a picnic and boating” at the scenic location, district police chief adbul rauf told media.
“according to the information so far, the boat was in a dilapidated condition and it was overloaded too,” he said.