KARACHI, July 12: Two real brothers were among three boys who drowned in a stormwater drain along Bhitai Colony on Friday afternoon.

The victims were Sunny, aged 13, and Babar, aged 12, both sons of Stephen; and Asif, aged 20, who had tried to save the drowning boys.

Relatives of the victims told this reporter that six boys, three of them real brothers, were playing cricket in an open space near their homes in Sector E of Bhitai Colony. About 1.30pm they decided to cross the drain over to the sea for swimming. The drain carries domestic and factory waste of Landhi and Korangi into the sea and it has a steel pipeline laid across it, which frolicking children often use to go over to the other side.

At that time the pipeline was under water because of high tide in the sea. Five of the boys, holding one another’s hands, ventured to walk across the pipeline. When one of them slipped, all the five fell down. The sixth boy, who had stayed back on the embankment, ran to the neighbourhood to report the matter.

Asif, a plumber, rushed to the spot and managed to pull out Adnan and Iftikhar. But in his attempt to save the two others, he also drowned. All the thee victims disappeared into the marshy drain.

Police and Edhi volunteers arrived there about 4pm, but they too looked helplessly as the place was too dangerous to step into.

The locality’s volunteers were also at hand to help. According to witnesses, however, it was Asif’s father, Yaqoob Gill, who first saw the bodies when the tide receded and he entered the drain. Helped by other volunteers, he pulled out the three bodies.

Area residents gathered at the scene and they emphasized the need for steps to prevent youngsters from walking across the pipelines. A few years ago two boys had also drowned and their bodies were found the next day in a mutilated condition.

ACCIDENT: Two small boys and a small girl died in road accidents in the city on Friday. A teenage boy was run over by a vehicle in Zaman Town, Korangi.

Irshad Masih, aged 12, was walking across a road in Mureedabad when he was run over by a vehicle (LHK-4089). The boy was seriously injured. He was rushed to a hospital where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

A two-year-old boy died when he was hit by a vehicle in Saeedabad.

The police said that a bus (JA-0657) hit the boy, who suddenly appeared on the road as his house was on the main road near Ruby Cinema in Saeedabad. He died on the spot. The body was sent to a hospital for post-mortem and was later handed over to the family for burial.

The police failed to arrest the driver as he sped away after the accident.

An eight-year-old girl died when she was knocked down by a vehicle of her relation in Korangi Industrial Area. The police said that Gulnaz was hit by a Suzuki pick-up accidentally in Bilal Colony. She was rushed to a hospital where doctors pronounced her dead on arrival. Her relations took the body home without post-mortem. They also did not register the case with the police.