Death Toll: 12 die in Sehwan since urs started

HYDERABAD: About 13 people have died at Sehwan in separate incidents of drowning and suffocation since the eve of 761st Urs celebrations of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, which began on Friday morning.

Five people died on Saturday, including, three who died of heat stroke as they were not able to survive the 43-degree temperature. The deceased were identified as Sadraddun, 12, from Bahawalpur, 38-year-old  Manzoor Hussain from Attock and Muhammad Hassan, 44, from Rawalpindi. An unidentified man in his 50s was found along the bank of the water canal, Aralh Wah.

A 31-year-old devotee, Khan Muhammad Soomro, was killed in a road accident after he fell from the roof of the bus while travelling from Jamshoro to Sehwan. The urs festivities will expectedly attract aroynd 1.5 million people before the event is concluded on Sunday evening.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 30^th, 2013.