NAROWAL: Five people, including three TikToker friends, drowned in drains and canals in the area around Narowal in the last two days.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Narowal Harmat Ali said the rescue control room received information that the dead body of an unidentified person was found in stormwater drain Nullah Dek of tehsil Zafarwal.

Rescue 1122 with the help of local people removed the dead body of the youth who was identified as 20-year-old Owais Ilyas, a resident of village Nangal Sudkan. The youth’s father Muhammad Ilyas told Rescue 1122 and police that his son and his two friends, 18-year-old Muhammad Ali and 22-year-old Owais Maqsood were missing since Friday.

The locals found Owais’s clothes, shoes, mobile phones and a motorcycle on the bank of the drain.

During the continuous six-hour search operation, the rescue team found the dead bodies of the other two young men. Rescue 1122 shifted the bodies to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Zafarwal.

The three friends used to make TikTok videos.

There was a medium level flood in the Dek drain on Friday and three friends reportedly died while saving each other from drowning.

In another case, 32-year-old Zahid Hameed was going to get fodder for his animals in village Choda of tehsil Shakargarh. He was crossing the rainwater channel Basantar when he drowned. Rescue 1122 found his body in a search operation.

In yet another incident, the rescue service received a call about a young man drowning near Marala Ravi Link Canal (Dhali Nehar) Jhal. After a 12-hour search operation, the body of the youth was found in the canal. He was identified as 22-year-old Ali Sher. According to the rescue sources, Sher was standing on the bank of the canal, taking a selfie when he slipped into it.

District Emergency Officer Muhammad Naeem Akhtar said 25 rescuers and 10 volunteers participated in the search operation in Nullah Dek.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2024