KARACHI: Two teenage cousins drowned at Seaview on Wednesday (second day of Eid). Edhi divers managed to retrieve the body of one of the victims on Thursday morning, according to police and rescue services.

South-SSP Rai Ijaz Ahmed said that five friends, reportedly belonging to the Pipri area of Bin Qasim Town, had gone to Seaview beach for a picnic. Two of them, Sonu Shahzad, 20, and Daniyal Ghafoor, 16, drowned while swimming when strong waves swept them away.

An Edhi Foundation spokesperson said that the body of Sonu was fished out at around 2:30am on Thursday while Daniyal’s body could be recovered in the evening.

The bodies were shifted to the JPMC for legal formalities.

The senior officer said that around 50 policemen were deployed at Seaview for patrolling in eight mobile vans in addition to 12 horse-riders. Besides, the police also kept announcing on loudspeakers to warn people of the risk of drowning.

However, there was a huge crowd of people and it was impossible to manage it, the South-SSP said, pointing out that no fewer than 400,000 picnickers were present at the Seaview beach.

Relatives of the victims, talking to the media, complained that the administration did not take timely action to save the lives of their loved-ones. They said the drowned men were cousins.

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2022