Search operation for drowned boy in Rawalpindi's Leh Nullah called off

Rawalpindi’s rescue authorities have called off the search for a six-year-old boy who drowned in Leh Nullah in Gulistan Colony, after water rescue teams reported health concerns and struggled to continue operations in rising water.

According to a monitored public feed based on Dawn’s report, the search had been extended on Tuesday to Bahria Town’s Phase VIII, but the boy was not found because of the increasing water level in the nullah. District emergency officer told Dawn that the operation would not resume on Wednesday.

The child, Mohammad Zahid, went missing on Saturday after falling into the nullah while playing outside his home. In an attempt to save him, his father also entered the water and drowned. The father’s body, identified as Mehrban Khan, 36, was recovered the same day, while the search for the boy continued.

A Rescue 1122 spokesman said the nullah had been divided into three sectors as part of the search effort, with special water rescue teams deployed at different points in Leh Nullah. He said all available resources were being used to try to locate the missing child.

The district emergency officer told Dawn that some divers involved in the operation had complained of skin rashes and other problems, apparently linked to the foul water in the nullah, prompting concerns about their medical condition. The search was therefore stopped.

Rescue officials had continued operations on Tuesday despite the difficult conditions, but the combination of rising water and the team’s health complaints led to the decision to suspend the effort.

The report is based on a monitored public feed and is attributed to Dawn Pakistan.

Source: Dawn Pakistan - https://www.dawn.com/news/2017339/search-operation-for-drowned-boy-in-rawalpindis-leh-nullah-called-off