Gold rush fever grips Karachi as crowds dig along Malir River

Drawn by viral social-media clips of people panning river sand, men, women, children hoping to strike it rich

A modern-day gold rush unfolded along the banks of Karachi’s Malir River, as hundreds of residents — spades, sieves and shovels in hands — flocked to the Korangi Causeway in search of glimmering specks, said to be gold.

Drawn by viral social-media clips showing people digging and panning through river sand, men, women and children gathered at multiple spots near the causeway, hoping to strike it rich. Videos show groups knee-deep in mud, scooping sand into pans and sifting through it under the afternoon sun.

“I saw people picking out shiny grains from the sand,” said one onlooker filming the scene. “Everyone believes it could be gold.”

Some participants claimed to have found glittering particles, though experts have cautioned that the authenticity of the so-called gold remains unverified. “The gold content of these particles has not been established,” one metallurgical analyst told The Express Tribune.

The spectacle drew large numbers of women and children, with families joining the search in what many described as both a treasure hunt and a social-media sensation.

Local authorities, meanwhile, urged citizens to remain cautious and not fall for unconfirmed reports circulating online. “People should avoid crowding the riverbanks or endangering themselves based on rumours,” a municipal official said.

By evening, as the crowds began to thin, the riverbanks were dotted with dug-up patches — traces of a citywide fever that, for a moment, turned Karachi’s industrial corridor into a scene out of a gold-rush film.