Two children among the victims; Teenager missing after tragedies at Sandspit, Korangi Causeway
KARACHI:
A day of relief from the city’s sweltering heat turned tragic on Sunday when five people, including two children, drowned in separate incidents at Sandspit and Korangi Causeway, as rescue teams continued to search for a missing teenager.
The deadliest incidents occurred at two locations along Sandspit beach in Mauripur area, where three youths were swept away by strong sea currents while bathing. Lifeguards, Edhi rescuers and Pakistan Navy divers managed to pull two of them out of the water in critical condition, but one later succumbed to his injuries while being taken to the Civil Hospital.
According to Sandspit police post in-charge Arif Khan, the victims were identified as Raheem, 31, and Sameer, 32, residents of Falaknaz Apartments in Malir. The group arrived at Sandspit late at night for a picnic and stayed in a beach hut before heading out to sea early in the morning.
The incident took place near shelters S-10 and S-31 around 8 a.m. Rescue officials said efforts were underway to locate the third victim, identified as Muhammad Yousaf, 17, son of Muhammad Naveed, a resident of Ranchore Line Jubilee. He reportedly disappeared after being swept away by waves.
In another incident, two children drowned while bathing in a stream near Korangi Causeway.
Police and Rescue 1122 officials said four or five children had gone to the area for a picnic to escape the intense heat when two of them slipped into deep water and drowned.
Upon receiving information, the police arrived at the scene and called Rescue 1122 divers, who began a search operation and recovered the bodies. The deceased were identified as Salar, 10, son of Muhammad Imtiaz, and Fahad Hussain, 12, son of Khurshid Ahmed.
According to Rescue 1122, the bodies were taken to the hospital through a Chhipa ambulance for legal formalities before being handed over to the families.
Korangi Industrial Area SHO Hakam Dad said both the children were residents of Manzoor Colony. Following the incident, his friends alerted the police, leading to the recovery operation.
The tragedies come as large numbers of Karachi residents continue to flock to beaches, rivers and other bodies of water seeking respite from the current heatwave, despite repeated warnings about dangerous currents and unsafe swimming conditions.
