Four of family among five killed as boat capsizes in HP

Dharamshala, Jun 21 (UNI) Five people, including four members of a family, were drowned in Pong Dam in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh after their boat capsized this evening, ASP Santosh Patial said.

The victims were on their way to attend Mahu Pir Fair, organised every year at Bat Ballon island in the dam, when their boat was suddenly filled with water, he told UNI here.

Mr Patial said Desh Raj, 40, and his three children Priya, 11, Priyanka 12, and Sachin, 10, drowned in the dam and their bodies were yet to be recovered, while Amin Chand died after he was rescued and brought to the shores.

His daughter-in-law Tripla and two daughters aged eight and nine were rescued by four persons Surinder, Anil Mehra, Sanjeev Mehra and Balkishan Mehra who immediately jumped into the dam when they saw the boat sinking, he said.

The SP said the boatman Joginder Singh, a PWD employee jumped out of the boat and swam to safety, adding that a case has been registered and investigations were on.

UNI