KARACHI, May 8: Five young girls and a six-year-old boy belonging to the same family drowned on Monday in the Sakran Nadi, Balochistan, bordering Gadap Town, Edhi sources said.

Residents of Manghopir, the family had gone to a shrine in Sakran. On their way back home, they stopped at a picnic point called ‘Bund Murad’ to freshen up. They descended into the canal to beat the afternoon heat, when the boy and girls were swept away by gushing water, said family members.

Police were unaware of the incident until the bodies were brought to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital by area people.

The victims were identified as Samreen, 18, and Abeeca, 16, both sisters; Nuasheen Siddiq, 14, Sidra Ghulam Rasool, 13, Farha Abdul Rasheed, 12, and Barkat, son of Rajab Ali, 6.

The bodies were taken out of the canal by the area people and some family members. The were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital by area people and family members in private vehicles.

Following the legal formalities, the bodies were sent to the Edhi morgue. The victims will be buried on Tuesday, Edhi sources said.