NOWSHERA: Six picnickers belonging to the same family drowned in the Kabul River when a boat, carrying 11 passengers, capsized here on Sunday.

Official sources said that 11 picnickers, who had come to Kund Park, were on-board the boat while it had capacity of only 10 persons. Four women and a child were rescued while six persons drowned, they said.

The bodies of 30-year-old Nadia Ashfaq, a resident of Farooq Azam Colony in Attock, and three-year old Amna Anwar were fished out while search for the remaining was continued till late night.

The operator of the boat managed to escape after the incident. The missing picnickers were identified as Nasir Mehmood, Hadia Ashfaq, Abida Syed and Shahid Mehmood.

The local drivers launched a rescue operation soon after the incident and rescued five people alive. They were identified as Abida Ayub, Sadaf Ashfaq, Sadia Ashfaq, Saira Ashfaq and a child.

Local divers rescue five persons including four women and a child

Sources said that 11 members of a family including six women, two girls, two men and a child came to Kund Park. They were enjoying boating in the Kabul River when they met the fatal accident.

Eyewitnesses said the boat capsized when it reached the place where the rivers Kabul and Indus mingled with each other.

It was third incident of its kind in Nowshera since observance of Eidul Fitr. The local administration soon after the incident postponed the boat service in the Kabul River.

Eyewitnesses said that a large number of picnickers were visiting Kund Park to enjoy boating during Eid holidays.

They said that most boats carried more passengers than their capacity without any check by the park administration.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak took strong exception to the incident and expressed profound grief and sorrow over the tragedy.

He ordered inquiry into the incident. He also warned district administration and said that no such incident would be tolerated in any part of the province in future.

Otherwise, the chief minister said, responsibility would rest with the administration concerned. He said that there should be complete ban on swimming and bathing in rivers.

In a condolence message, Mr Khattak expressed his sympathies with the bereaved family and prayed for the eternal peace of the deceased.

The chief minister also directed the district administration to take all possible protective measures and ban unprotected and unauthorised boating and bathing in the river to prevent occurrence of such shocking incidents in future.

Our Correspondent form Mingora adds: The district administration imposed ban on bathing in the Swat River for one month after two more tourists drowned in the river in the district.

According to police, two persons, who came to the valley to enjoy Eid holidays, slipped into the Swat River in Fizagat area. The local people and police recovered the bodies of the tourists, they said.

The victims were identified as Arshad and Naveed, the residents of district Buner. About seven persons had drowned in the Swat River during the last one week.

Deputy Commissioner Mahmood Aslam Wazir on Sunday imposed ban on bathing in the river for one month.

Published in Dawn, Aug 4th, 2014