Three children among four die in Khairpur boat tragedy

SUKKUR: A tragedy struck when at least four people including three children and a woman drowned as the overcrowded boat carrying a wedding party capsized in Kalhora Lake in Khairpur on Monday.

The incident occurred at Kalihora Lake near Sageon village in Khairpur when a small boat carrying nearly 20 members of a wedding party capsized. The boat was heading for village Siddiq Kalihoro in Larkana. According to witnesses the overcrowded boat flipped some distance away from the banks of the lake. Many of the survivors managed to save themselves by swimming to the banks of the lake, while some were saved by the volunteers.

The dead included 5-year-old Muhammad Hanif, 5-year-old Abdul Rehman, 4-year-old Ayesha and 40-year-old Fatima Kalhoro. Police took the bodies to the Hingorija Basic Health Center for medico legal formalities. The Deputy Commissioner Khairpur Abdul Fatah Hulio said according to preliminary investigations the boat capsized as it was carrying more people than its capacity. He claimed that the district management organizations helped in the rescue and in carrying the dead to the hospital. The locals disputed the DC’s version of events saying there was no help and even the bodies were taken to the Hingorija Basic Health Center by hiring a tractor trolley. They also protested as to why no action is taken to prevent the owners of the boat to overstuff the boats leading to such tragedies.

There was widespread mourning when the bodies reached the hometown village Suleman Kalihoro. A large number of people attended the funeral of the victims.