QUETTA, Oct 16: Six of the 18 picnickers, who drowned when they were swept away by high waves off Gadani beach on Monday afternoon, were buried in Karachi on Tuesday.

Lifeguards rescued eight others, who were also overpowered by the waves. They were given first aid at a hospital in Hub and later shifted to Karachi.

Two picnickers were missing till Tuesday evening, police sources said, adding that rescue teams were looking for them.

According to the sources, a group of 30 people aged between 18 and 30 years had come from Karachi at around 1pm. After spending some time on the beach, they went for a swim and moved a little too far from the shore.

At about 3.30pm, large waves swept 28 of them away.

Hundreds of people who also had come from Karachi and different areas of Hub were on the beach when the incident happened. Local fishermen and lifeguards deployed along the beach tried to help the distressed people, but could save only eight of them.

The president of the Pakistan Ship Breakers Association, Malik Mohammad Azam, has urged the government to deploy a large number of lifeguards along the beach where hundreds people come on holidays.

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Yousuf has expressed deep grief over the tragic incident.