The boat, which had eight people on it, overturned after being badly hit by a powerful storm, said the District Police Office (DPO) of Kaski.
The two dead children have been identified as two-year-old Ivina Gurung and her three-year-old sister Anushka Gurung. Their mother Sushma Gurung, 19, is among the three feared dead. Besides Sushma, Prakash Gurung, 20, and Pushpa Gurung, 35, all from Pokhara Sub Metropolitan City-10, are also missing. Police and locals searched for the missing three till late Wednesday evening but to no avail.[break]
Kumar Gurung, 9, Rita Gurung, 20, and Simran Gurung, 13, who had also drowned in the lake, were rescued alive by the police. Ivina and Anushka were also rescued but they died later while undergoing treatment.
According to Rabindra Poudel, spokesperson for the Kaski police, only one of the three rescued alive, Kumar Gurung, was wearing a life-jacket when their boat capsized. Rita and Simran saved their lives by hanging on to Kumar´s life-jacket.
“When their boat was in the middle of the lake, it was rocked by a heavy storm followed by a downpour,” said Poudel. “And, they lost their control over the boat. Had all of them worn life-jackets, none would have died.”
“We are now preparing to make it mandatory for everyone to wear a life jacket while boating in the lakes of Pokhara,” said Poudel.
Buddhi Bahadur Nepali, president of an association of boat operators in Pokhara, says, “We can save many lives if we ensure that all wear life-jackets before entering into the lakes.”
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