KARACHI: A group of of friends from Liauqatabad was enjoying a picnic at Hawkesbay but it turned into a tragedy as two of them drowned while bathing at the beach on Monday morning. Their bodies were later recovered by rescue workers, officials said.

According to the Mauripur police, some seven friends from Liaquatabad came to the beach late on Sunday evening. They stayed overnight and had breakfast early in the morning before moving to the beach. A watchman of a nearby hut tried to persuade the youths not to go into the deep water as it was considered dangerous but they did not heed his advice.

“Two of the picnickers were trapped in deep water and disappeared,” said the official. “The divers started a search and rescue operation. After a hectic search and hours-long efforts, the bodies of both victims were fished out. They were handed over to their families after due formalities. The deceased friends were identified as 18-year-old Shayan Arif and 19-years-old Saddam Saleem.”

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2020