At least 25 people, including children, have drowned at Karachi's popular beaches while bathing in the Arabian sea during Eid celebrations in Pakistan.
Rescue teams have recovered all the 25 bodies from the rough sea in the last two days. Nineteen bodies were recovered from the popular Clifton Seaview beach while the rest from Hawksbay and Sandspit after the administration sought help of Pakistan Navy helicopters.
Rescue efforts were underway to recover four more missing bodies out of a total of 29 people who had drowned, Commissioner Karachi, Shoaib Siddiqui told PTI.
"We had imposed section 144 in the Seaview, Hawksbay and Sandspit beach areas but people don't listen. Due to Eid holidays thousands of people showed up and it became impossible for the rescue personnel to manage things," Siddiqui said.
Most of the people had drowned after being swept away by the high tides in the sea, he said.
"We had issued warnings that due to the particular season the tides were high and people should avoid going into the sea," Siddiqui added.
Many of those killed including children belonged to one family.
The beach areas in the city had been closed down with immediate effect after the tragedies, he said.
The beach areas in and around Karachi remain a popular picnic spot for thousands and due to pleasant weather conditions, the rush increases during holiday season.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Mamnoon Hussain today expressed their deep grief and sorrow over the tragic incidents.
In separate messages, the President and the Prime Minister also conveyed their condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the departed souls.
