CHITRAL: Three people lost their life and seven others were injured after falling into the Golen stream at about 4pm on Saturday afternoon while rehabilitating water supply lines to Mori lower village that were damaged in the recent floods.
The residents of the village were rehabilitating the damaged water supply lines stretching over the stream on a self-help basis when the pipes broke down. Some of them fell into the stream and others sustained injuries.
One of the victims, identified as Inayatur Rehman, was swept away by the gushing water and his body is yet to be retrieved while another man, Afsaruddin, died of excessive bleeding at the site about two hours after the incident as no help could reach him on time.
The death toll increased to three after another injured lost his life on Sunday.
People from the village and other areas blocked the Chitral-Mastuj road by keeping the dead body of one of the victims on the road for hours. They said despite repeated appeals the government failed to rehabilitate the damaged water supply lines forcing them to start work on it on their own which led to the incident.
Hours later, traffic on the busy road was restored after an agreement was reached at by the protesters and Deputy Commissioner Lower Chitral Naveed Ahmed.
According to the agreement, relief cheques for Rs300,000 were given to the heirs of each of the deceased persons.
Meanwhile, rescue workers continued efforts to retrieve the body of Inayatur Rehman. –Muhkam Uddin Ayuni