Water Torrent Perishes 50 pilgrims in Pakistan
Pakistan Times Staff Report

DERA GHAZI KHAN: Almost 50 Pakistani pilgrims died when a torrent of water swept away their tractor trailer, police said on Saturday.

The incident occurred late on Friday night in the mountainous area of Dera Ghazi Khan in Punjab province as the pilgrims were returning from visiting a shrine. Most of the bodies were those of women and children, a police spokesman said.

The deaths are the latest due to severe weather. About 500 people died in a single week last month in freak floods, landslides and avalanches.

It was not immediately known how many people were in the trailer. Police said at least two people had managed to jump clear and raise the alarm.

Rescue teams were searching the area and the death toll could rise, they said.

Perspective

As reported by Pakistan's first independent daily E-newspaper, 'Pakistan Times' in its edition of Saturday, March-19 almost over 40 people, mostly women and children of the same family, died and several are reported missing as a tractor-trolley carrying pilgrims plunged into a river in eastern Pakistan.

The pilgrims were returning from shrine of a Muslim saint Zinda Pir late Friday in Dera Ghazi Khan, about 200 kilometers the main city Multan, in Punjab province.

As some reports suggest, 37 bodies have been recovered from the river in mountainous valley and divers are searching for others. The Police said that there might be some 50 people traveling in the trolley.

Cause of the accident could not be ascertained. The rushing waters, however swept away the tractor-trolley.

Details

By now, at least 43 people were confirmed dead, out of which 29 bodies had been recovered while search for the 13 missing was underway. Twenty-four people were rescued alive, who were rushed to DHQ hospital in Dera Ghazi Khan for treatment.

The dead also include: Bakhtawar Mai (55), Ajmal (5), Sakina Mai (18), Ishaq Khan (13), Afzal (24), Parveen Mai (22), Channar Mai (60), Amna Mai (5), Farzana Bibi (4), Jindan Bibi, Shabana Bibi (5), Moomal Mai (5), Sihani Mai (60), Ishaq Ahmed, Zoohran Mai, Kundan Mai.

The Missing

The missing include: Hussain Bakhsh, Naseem Mai, Wazeer Ahmed, Saleem Khan, Gulnaz Bibi, Kalsoom Mai, Nazeer Mai, Nazar Lashari, Wassoo Mai, Razoo Mai, Yousuf Khan, Safoo Bibi, Shameem Mai, Tasleem Mai.

Nazar Hussain, Razzo Mai, Bakht Lashari, Nazar Lashari, Jamal, Lal Bukhsh, Sharif, Nawaz, Baghan Bibi, Arbab, Madah Hussain, Haji Mohammad Khan Lashari, Kaneez Mai, Sughra Bibi, Nazeeran Mai, Ashiq Hussain, Ayub Khan, Imam Bukhsh, Ghulam Yaseen, Munir, Tasleem Bibi, Kora Khan, Ghulam Jaffar, Wasso Mai and Bashir Khan comprised the survivors.

Emergency in Hospital

Meanwhile, emergency has been declared at DG Khan’s DHQ hospital, and an information cell has been set up at DG Khan’s DPO’s office to provide information about the incident.

Eyewitnesses said the rescue operation was being carried out on the self-help basis, as the district administration could not do anything to this effect.

They said the bodies, which were found entangled in trees, bushes and stones in an area of about eight to 10 kilometres, were lying under the open sky. People of the area said due to difficult road access to the area, the bodies could only be shifted through a helicopter.

A local tribesman, Haji Mohammed Khan, said he had advised the tractor driver, Aashiq Lashari, not to cross the torrent of water and wait but he did not pay heed to his advice.

Another report says, six small vehicles loaded with different goods and boarding many passengers were swept away by floodwater near Taunsa. However, no life loss was reported. The vehicles were, later recovered.

Road accidents in Pakistan are usually blamed on poor roads, speed and above-all lack of knowledge and violation of traffic rules.

Of-late, some 12 children died late last month when a school children bus met with an accident on Islamabad-Lahore motorway near the town of Kalar Kahar, some 120 kilometers southeast of the capital, Islamabad.●