Besides drowning of six persons, the suffocation in the area also claimed the live of 12 more persons including two women. Out of 12 persons, eight have been identified as Nazia w/o Gulzar 45 resident of Multan, Bashir Ahmed 40 r/o Lahore, Mumtaz Hussain 55 r/o Khanewal, Falak Sher 50 r/o Khanewal, Manzooran 50 r/o Lodheran, Tariq 30 r/o Lahore, Sajjad 50 r/o Lahore and Shahid 30 r/o Rahim Yar Khan.
The bodies of all identified deceased persons were handed over to their relatives while the other four deceased persons whose identification could not be ascertained were laid to rest by Edhi volunteers at Sehwan town.
It may be mentioned here that Commissioner Hyderabad Division, Ahmed Bux Narejo who reviewed the urs arrangements yesterday in a meeting had expressed his apprehensions over the drowning cases at the canals of the town during the annual urs celebrations and directed the revenue officers for imposing section 144 Cr.P.C prohibiting swimming and taking necessary precautionary measures so that precious lives of the people could be saved.
But no effort is being witnessed from the administration concerned to stop the devotees from swimming or taking bath in the canals.
