In a tragic incident in northwest Pakistan, 49 boys, all students of a madrassa, drowned in the Tanda Dam lake when their overloaded boat capsized on Sunday.
The students, aged between seven and 14, had been taken for a day trip to the scenic lake, located about five kilometers from their madrassa in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The rescue mission was hampered by the freezing waters of the dam, but divers were finally able to retrieve the remaining bodies on Tuesday. A teacher and the boat’s skipper were also recovered, bringing the death toll to 51.
According to Fazal Naeem, a police spokesperson, the boat had a capacity of only 20 to 25 persons, but was carrying an excessive number of students, which led to its capsizing.
Five people were rescued, including four students and one teacher. Speaking about the rescue mission, senior official with Rescue 1122, Khateer Ahmad, stated that the freezing water of the dam had impeded the rescue mission, but the divers were eventually able to dive deep and recover the bodies.
The tragedy was further compounded by the fact that dozens of parents and relatives of the students gathered at the site, and every time a body was recovered, they would jump onto the diver to see if it was their son, leading to scenes of pain and anguish.
