According to police, 49 children died when their overloaded boat capsized in northwest Pakistan after three days of body dragging from the icy water.
All the boys, aged 7-14, were students of a madrassa and had been taken on Sunday for a day trip to Tanda Dam.
“The cold weather halted the rescue mission because the dam’s water was freezing. Divers were able to dive deep today to recover the remaining bodies,” Rescue 1122 official Khateer Ahmad said.
He said that the bodies of a teacher and a boat captain had also been recovered from the water. In total, 51 people lost their lives.
Parents and relatives have gathered over the past few days and rushed to the diver whenever bodies were found at the scene, screaming in agony and pain every time, according to Muhammad Umar, who sells tea at a picnic area.
“I have never seen such scenes in my life; there are no words to describe them.”
Tanda Dam Lake is about three miles away from the Islamic school in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Police spokesperson Fazal Naeem stated that the boat was “overloaded; its capacity was around 20 to 25 persons” and that five people, including four students and one teacher, were saved.
