Seven tourists and two families had a miraculous escape on Thursday after a houseboat capsized into the Dal Lake following incessant rains in the Kashmir Valley over the past few day.
Mohammad Yousuf, owner of the house boat told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that his houseboat “Kolhai” sank into the Dal Lake today morning and said that besides two families there were seven tourists in the houseboat when it started to sank.
He said that he along with other family members first evacuated the tourists as house boat was slowly sinking and somehow they managed to take them to safer place. “After taking tourists to safer place, we evacuated other family members.”
Meanwhile, he said that their house boat is old and they had requested the authorities to give them permission so that they can repair it, however, their pleas fell on deaf ears.
He added that had government allowed them to repair the house boat, this incident would have not happened.
“We are now homeless, as the house boat has suffered massive damage. We appeal to the authorities to provide compensation, besides permission to repair our house boat,” he said—(KNO)