Rescue teams recovered the body of a retired colonel on Thursday, who had been missing since his car was swept away by rainwaters and slipped into a drain in Rawalpindi last week. The search for his daughter, who was with him at the time, continues.
The incident occurred when the father and daughter’s car was carried away by the fast-moving waters of a seasonal stream that connects sector 4 and phase 7 of a private housing society in Islamabad.
Read: Search on for father, daughter lost in flood
Eyewitnesses reported seeing both signaling for help, but due to the heavy flow of water, they could not be rescued.
A joint rescue operation involving the Pakistan Army, PDMA (Provincial Disaster Management Authority), Rescue 1122, and other agencies began immediately after the car was swept away.
Despite relentless efforts throughout Tuesday and Wednesday, the operation was unsuccessful in locating the missing father and daughter.
The search resumed early on Thursday with renewed hopes of finding them.
By Thursday afternoon, rescue teams recovered the vehicle’s door and bonnet beneath the Soan River bridge, which spans the drain where the car was believed to have gone.
Excavations have focused on the deeper sections of the river, and officials have expressed optimism now that water levels have receded.
Rescue 1122 confirmed that Colonel (retired) Qazi Ishaq’s body was found beneath the bridge connecting the housing society’s sector 4 and phase 7.
The search for his daughter continues, with recovery teams still focused on the surrounding areas.
Meanwhile, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), rain, wind, and thundershowers are expected in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan, and northeast Balochistan over the next twelve hours.
Heavy rainfall is likely in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, the Pothohar region, and northeast Punjab, during this period, PMD added, warning that these conditions could lead to localised flooding and disruption.
Meanwhile, PMD forecasts hot and humid weather in the southern regions of the country.
Temperature readings this morning: Islamabad 25°C, Lahore 28°C, Karachi 30°C, Peshawar 27°C, Quetta and Gilgit 26°C, Murree 15°C, Muzaffarabad 24°C.
