Six Lyari picnickers drown off Gadani beach

Another picnic turned into a tragedy on Friday when six people, including two children, drowned off Gadani beach in Balochistan.

According to rescue officials, the bodies of four women were recovered and a search for two children was under way. The sources said another 11 picnickers, all relatives and from Lyari, were rescued and taken to a rural health centre nearby.

Last week, two young men drowned off Karachi’s Sandspit beach. According to police, the youths — who were residents of North Nazimabad — were identified as Osama, 22, and Faraz, 19.

The two, along with five other friends, had gone to the beach to enjoy the second day of Eid-ul-Fitr. On May 23 last year, at least six people had drowned while bathing off different beaches in Karachi, rescue personnel had confirmed.

In the first incident, four school friends — residents of Orangi Town — drowned while bathing off Sandspit beach. Three others drowned off Sea View, of which one was rescued.