Five dead after rescue boat capsizes in Pakistan's Punjab province

Five people were killed after the boat they were riding in capsized in a river in Pakistan's Punjab province on Saturday, September 6.

Local media have identified the ill-fated vessel as a boat of the country's Rescue 1122 emergency response service.

At the time of the incident, the boat was transporting people across Punjab's Chenab River as part of evacuation operations in response to flooding that had been caused by nearly a week of monsoon rains.

Local officials said the boat capsized near the city of Multan after it struck a submerged object while underway amid strong currents and in low visibility.

Ten of the boat's occupants were later rescued while the bodies of a 70-year-old female and four small children have been recovered from the surrounding waters.

Officials have assured that search and rescue operations will continue to attempt to locate other people who may have also been on the boat when the incident occurred.