KARACHI: Twelve of a family, including two women, drowned on Saturday on Hawksbay Beach.
The incident occurred when the family was picnicking at the popular beach despite the ban on swimming imposed by the Home Department during the monsoon season due to rough waters.
Witnesses said three of the picnickers were caught up in the waves and several people jumped in to rescue them but got caught themselves and drowned.
In May, 18 people, including four schoolchildren, drowned in various beaches of the city.
Sharing details of the incident, Karachi-South DIG Azad Khan said the tragedy occurred when one child got stuck in a ‘whirlpool’ near Turtle Beach, the others also drowned while trying to save the child.
Mauripur police said that picnickers belonging to two families, residents of Nazimabad, had arrived for picnicking at Sandspit Beach also known as Turtle Beach when the tragedy struck them.
The senior police official said that the beach police post in-charge, Sub-Inspector Ismail, has been suspended over his failure to implement the ban on swimming.
Edhi Foundation spokesman Saad Edhi said all 12 bodies have been recovered and sent to the hospital for fulfilling legal formalities.
“During last one month, at least 33 people have drowned whose bodies were recovered from the city’s beaches,” said Saad Edhi.
Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar said, “Immediate steps were needed at beaches to prevent such tragedies.”
Published in Daily Times, September 10th 2017.
