Thatta boat tragedy toll mounts to 22, search for missing enters day 2

KARACHI: The death toll in the boat tragedy on Friday climbed to 22 while the search for missing ferry passengers is still underway for second day, ARY News reported. 

The ill-fated boat capsized on Thursday in the sea off the coast of Thatta near Mirpur Sakro.

The boat, carrying more than sixty people in total, was ferrying passengers to visit a popular Sufi shrine when it overturned owing to heavy winds near the coastal belt along Thatta district in southern Sindh.

As many as 18 bodies were recovered during the rescue operations on Thursday while search for dozens others was underway.

Karachi residents

Majority of drowned victims belonged to various areas of Karachi. As many as 10 bodies were brought to old city area of Lyari and five others in Memon Goth of the city.

The dead include five women and four children, while at least twenty others were pulled from the sea alive. The bodies have been shifted to a hospital in Mirpur Sakro while the survivors with drowning trauma were discharged after being provided first aid.

All the ferry passengers were travelling to attend a festival at a shrine when their boat capsized, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Thatta Haseeb Afzal said, adding, the boat was overloaded.

Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah has expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives and directed Deputy Commissioner Thatta to take all possible efforts for rescuing the people.