JALALPUR PIRWALA – Punjab is reeling from deadly floods and now a rescue mission turned into a nightmare as a Rescue 1122 boat capsized in the raging River Chenab, leaving five people dead including four children and an elderly woman.
The tragedy struck Wachha Sandila village, where more than 20 flood victims were being evacuated. In a matter of moments, the boat carrying mostly woman and children overturned in fierce currents, plunging passengers into the swollen river.
Several survivors were pulled to safety, but a desperate search is underway for the missing. Among dead are 80-year-old Bakht Bibi, little Fatima (6), Amir (7), Mahnoor (3), and two infants aged six and three months.
Officials revealed the boat lost balance in powerful floodwaters, and PDMA chief Irfan Ali Kathia ordered strict safety measures, warning rescue teams against dangerous overloading during evacuations.
The horrific accident sparked outrage, with many questioning whether safety lapses cost innocent lives in the middle of an already devastating flood crisis.