At Least 9 Dead After Rescue Boat Capsizes During Flood Relief Efforts In Pakistan. Image: NDTV.
(The Post News)- At least nine people died when a rescue boat capsized during floods relief efforts in southern Punjab, Pakistan, officials confirmed Friday, 12 September.
The Sutlej River’s worst floods in 40 years continued to devastate vast swathes of land, submerging hundreds of villages and displacing more than 150,000 people.
According to the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the accident occurred Thursday near a village close to Multan. “The rescue boat had successfully evacuated 24 people from flooded villages when it overturned. Fifteen survivors were later pulled from the water, leaving nine dead,” the PDMA said in a statement.
Local authorities in Minchinabad Tehsil reported that a Rescue 1122 vessel, carrying 22 people including staff, capsized near Mamoonka Basti. Two victims, identified as Adnan and Khizar, were swept away by powerful currents. Their bodies were recovered a day later.
Officials said the boat, designed for 15 people, was dangerously overloaded after desperate passengers forced their way on board, bringing along plastic containers filled with 400 liters of milk. “The boat capsized just 15 to 20 meters from the shore,” one rescue official said. The tragedy was compounded by separate incidents in Chishtian, where 38-year-old Muhammad Hussain and 12-year-old Muhammad Asad drowned. Both bodies were later recovered by the Rescue 1122 teams.
Authorities acknowledged that evacuations have been hampered by villagers’ reluctance to abandon their livestock. “The rescue work in the region is tough because people are not cooperating. Many families refuse to leave without their cows, goats, and other animals, which are their only source of livelihood,” PDMA stated.
In the Bahawalnagar district alone, a 154-kilometer stretch of the Sutlej has affected nearly 400 settlements, displacing 150,000 people. District officials described the floods as “catastrophic,” triggered by relentless monsoon rains and swollen rivers.
About the Author
