Pakistani authorities announced that a boat carrying 100 people of the same family as they were heading to a wedding party sank in the Indus River on Monday, killing at least 18 women, while dozens of people are still missing.
The authorities said the boat sank while it was transporting family members in a wedding procession from Mashka to Kharoor, two villages located in Sadiqabad district of Punjab province.
18 women drowned
For her part, Rana Kashif Mahmood, a spokesman for the Sadiqabad district administration, said that the accident resulted in the drowning of 18 women, “which are confirmed dead”, while between 25 to 30 people survived following “residents living on the banks of the river rescued them or managed to reach the land by swimming.” .
He added that rescue teams are continuing to search for the missing.
The death toll is expected to rise
Meanwhile, policeman Mohamed Hammad told AFP that “the majority of the drowned are women” because “most men are good at swimming.” He added, “The death toll is likely to rise.”
Rural people in Pakistan often use boats for transportation, especially as they are cheaper than road transport.
However, the conservative nature of Pakistan’s society discourages women from learning to swim.
