GWADAR: Seven young girls drowned in a seasonal stream near Turbat town of Kech district, on Sunday.

Six of them drowned in a struggle to rescue each other, after one of them lost her balance while taking bath in the stream, according to witnesses.

The deceased, aged between 10 and 17, were later identified as Faiza, Mahtab, Fizza, Durdana, Bushra, Shreen and Mahzeb, all belonging to the same family, officials said.

Police said two other girls were rescued by people and shifted to district hospital. Both were unconscious, they added. “We have received seven bodies of the girls who drowned in a stream near Turbat,” District Health Officer Dr Khalid Baloch said. The bodies were later handed over to the family after completing medico-legal formalities.

Witnesses said the family had arrived for a picnic when the girls lost their lives in a struggle to rescue each other while other family members watched helplessly. After receiving information, residents rushed to the site to retrieve the bodies and also managed to rescue two other girls.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2023