Status: 01/31/2023 10:18 p.m
A boat accident in Pakistan has killed at least 51 people, including 49 children. Students at a Koran school were on an excursion when their overcrowded boat suddenly capsized.
After a boat accident in north-west Pakistan, the death toll has risen to 51. Among the victims were 49 boys between the ages of seven and 14, police said. The students of a local Koran school had been on an excursion. The bodies of a teacher and a helmsman were also recovered, and five people were saved.
The completely overcrowded boat capsized on the Tanda reservoir on Sunday. “The water was icy due to the cold weather, which made the rescue operation difficult,” said Khateer Ahmad, a rescue service official. Muhammad Umar, who sells tea and snacks at the popular excursion destination, reported on dozens of parents and relatives who have been at the scene of the accident since Sunday.
Boat overcrowded according to police
“Every time a victim was sighted, they would rush to the divers to see if it was their son and every time we would hear them screaming in pain and anguish,” he told AFP over the phone. He had never seen such scenes in his life. According to police spokesman Fazal Naeem, the ship was only approved for 20 to 25 people.
Lake Tanda is only five kilometers from the madrasa in Kohat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Deadly shipwrecks happen again and again in Pakistan. Many boats are ailing and often carry more passengers than allowed. Also, many people in the country cannot swim.