At least six devotees were killed and many are feared drowned while three minors sustained injuries after a tractor trolley skidded off the road and fell into a DG canal at Basiti Bhanda near Choti Zareen D G Khan on Friday.
Regional Emergency Officer (REO) Rescue 1122, Dr Nattiq Hayyat, Ghalzai told APP that the trolley was loaded with devotees mostly women and kids who were going to attend a fair at Sakhi Sarwar.
He quoted the eye witness as saying that the trolley was packed to capacity which fell into the canal.
He stated that six bodies were fished out so far while scuba divers were trying to trace other devotees.
The REO informed that after being altered, the rescue operation had begun swiftly along with ambulances, water search vehicles, boats, fire vehicles and motorbike ambulances.
Recue 1122 District Emergency Officer, Engineer Ahmad Kamal, who is also operation commander, informed that over-speeding and failure of brakes were the causes of the tragedy according to initial reports, adding that the driver lost control of the tractor-trolley at a speed breaker on the road.
He maintained that those who died in the incident were identified as Ameer Bux 70, Mohsin 11, Skeeni Bibi 12, Azhar 25 and Mushtaq (27).
The DEO told that the tractor-trolley was carrying 50 devotees and the operation was going on by Pakistan Army, rescuers, Irrigation Deptt staffers, police and district administration for finding out the missing people and it will continue till tracing of all drowned. Normally, the operation in such incidents continues from morning till dust, he concluded.
