ISLAMABAD: A picnic ended in tragedy after a boat carrying at least 35 school children and four teachers overturned in the Khanpur Dam Lake on Tuesday.
According to reports, a teacher died drowned in the lake, while 35 students were rescued by officials. At least four children were in critical condition and provided medical treatment. Rescue 1122 Service control room received a distress call and teams were immediately rushed to the site and the divers started searching for the victims.
In August last year, two boys drowned bathing in the Khanpur Dam. Rescue officials said the boys from neighbouring Khoi Maira village were bathing in the Khanpur reservoir near Old Khanpur when three of them drowned.
Local divers fished out all three boys but two of them died on the way to hospital. The third one was shifted to Khanpur Tehsil Headquarters Hospital. The dead were identified as Sanwal Irfan, 10, and Adil Manzoor, 13. The administration has banned bathing and swimming in the dam but police had been unable to take action against those defying the ban.
Earlier in March last year, at least two persons were killed when a vehicle carrying a tourist family fell into Khanpur Dam in Haripur. Five members of a tourist family from Islamabad drowned when the vehicle carrying them skidded off the road and fell into the lake. Rescue teams reached the spot and rescued three pepeople alive while two dead bodies were also recovered.
