Seven more people drown in the sea

In the past 10 days, 18 people have drowned

KARACHI: Seven more people, including four school students who were also childhood friends, drowned while swimming in the waters of different beaches in Karachi on Tuesday, taking the drowning death toll in the past 10 days to 18.

In the first incident, four school friends drowned at Sandspit beach. The bodies of three have been recovered while one is still missing. The deceased were later identified as Hamza Siddiqui, Ejaz Azad, Ali Ahmed and Hamza Anis. The search for Anis’s body is still underway. The victims were said to be aged between 17 to 19 years. All of them were residents of Sector 11.5 of Orangi Town neighbourhood. They were students of Matric at the Little Whittle School in Orangi Town and had arrived at the beach for a picnic with the student administration.

The school administration and students blamed the government for not making proper arrangements of lifeguards at the beaches in Karachi. "The students insisted to go to the beach for a picnic after the Matric examinations," said the school's principal, Amir Ahmed. "Everything was fine. All the students were swimming and enjoying but suddenly a high tide washed them away."



According to Hammad Ali, a friend of the deceased, they could have been saved if proper arrangements had been in place. "It took at least 10 minutes for them to drown and we continued shouting for help but there was no one to help us."

The only lifeguards who came were from the Edhi foundation but by then, all four had drowned, he added. "The Edhi lifeguards had no proper equipment to save the drowning people," said another student, Shahrukh Ahmed. "They were only able to recover the bodies."

The bodies were shifted to Civil Hospital, Karachi, for medico-legal formalities and later handed over to the families for burial. The neighbourhood mourned as the bodies of the drowned students were brought. "Please help us. Please bring my son back," wailed the father of Anis, who is still missing. "They are saying that they cannot search in the night and they will start searching again tomorrow. What will my son will do in the sea during the whole night? Will the same happen if was the son of any major politician or government official in place of my son?"



Meanwhile, two others drowned while swimming in Do Darya within the limits of the Sahil police station. Rescuers retrieved Kashan, 22, in a critical condition and the body of 24-year-old Uzair. A third unidentified man drowned with them, whose body has yet to be recovered.

Sahil SHO Arshad Janjua said that the victims were labourers and were working at a nearby under-construction building. "They went to the sea for a swim during break time and drowned," the officer explained. The officer said the rescuers, however, managed to recover two – one dead and the other in an unconscious condition – while the third person is still missing. He added that rescuers will go to the sea again to search for him early Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, the body of a young man who was later identified as Bilal, a resident of Orangi Town, was found from Hawke’s Bay beach. Police officials said the deceased apparently drowned while swimming. The body was later handed over to the family for burial.



According to Edhi Foundation officials, the three months of May, June and July are the most dangerous for swimming and people should avoid going to beaches during these months. "The coastal belt along Karachi is over 31 miles,” said a senior Edhi Foundation official, Anwar Kazmi. “Only prompt action can save a person within two to three minutes, otherwise just the body is recovered. Section 144 against swimming in the sea is already in place but people are violating it and losing their lives."

Drowning incidents are commonly reported in the summer season as picnickers flock to the beaches to beat the soaring temperatures in the city. However, despite the increasing number of incidents of drowning, the authorities concerned have yet to take any precautionary measures.

Earlier on Monday, four people drowned in the waters of different beaches in Karachi while on Saturday, three fishermen drowned at Manora beach as they were going for fishing and their boat capsized. Four other friends also drowned at Hawke’s Bay beach last Sunday.