ISLAMABAD: At least four picnickers drowned on Sunday at a beach in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi, rescue officials said.
Drowning incidents are frequent at Karachi’s beaches, where people often disregard warnings from officials and lifeguards to not venture deep into the sea.
Sunday's incident took place at the city’s Turtle Beach, according to Edhi Marine Services in Karachi.
“Four youths drowned in the sea near Hawke’s Bay’s Turtle Beach,” Edhi Marine Services said in a statement. “Edhi Marine Services have found the body of one person and shifted it to Civil Hospital.”
One of the deceased was identified as a 25-year-old man, according to the rescue service.
Police have closed off all routes leading to Hawke’s Bay in Karachi after the drownings, local media reported, resulting in long queues of vehicles on the city's Mauripur Road.
In May, five people drowned during the three-day Eid Al-Fitr holidays in Karachi, while 23 beachgoers drowned during the Eid holidays in 2014.
Authorities often impose Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) after such incidents, which restricts the assembly of four or more people in an area.
