An elderly man lost his life while attempting to swim across the Abbasia Link Canal near Uch Sharif in Punjab’s Bahawalpur district for a reward of one thousand rupees, as reported by national media on Friday.
According to a report, Rescue 1122 sources stated that some local individuals challenged 66-year-old Shabbir, a retired railway employee, to swim across the large and deep canal, promising him a reward of one thousand rupees if he succeeded. Shabbir was neither a trained swimmer nor physically fit for such a strenuous task.
Eyewitnesses reported that as soon as Shabbir jumped into the canal, he began to drown. Instead of helping him, the people present started laughing and recording videos of him. These videos were later uploaded to social media.
When he completely disappeared under the water, someone finally informed Rescue 1122. However, by the time the rescue team arrived, it was too late; Shabbir had already died. His body was later retrieved and handed over to his family.
Following the viral spread of the video, there was widespread outrage on social media. Users demanded action against those who provoked Shabbir into the challenge and then failed to assist him. So far, the Uch Sharif police have not taken any action regarding this tragic incident.
