Police: Wooden boat capsizes in Pakistan, killing at least 8

MULTAN, Pakistan – Pakistani police say an overloaded, small wooden boat capsized in eastern Punjab province, killing eight passengers and leaving several others missing.

Local police chief Mohammad Imran says the boat tilted on its side, filled with water and sank on Monday in the Sutlej River near the town of Dibalpur.

He says most of the 35 passengers were on their way to a funeral when the accident happened. It wasn’t immediately known what caused it.

Imran says 10 passengers were saved and that a search for the missing is underway.

Such accidents are common in Pakistan, where wooden boats are often used to transport goods and people on rivers and lakes. Most operate without life jackets.

Dibalpur is about 250 kilometres, or 150 miles, south of Multan, the nearest big city.