12 picnickers drown at Karachi's Hawke's Bay beach, say police

[waqar goraya]

At least 12 people, including three teenagers, of two families drowned at Karachi’s Hawksbay beach on Saturday evening after they were swept away by strong waves, police officials said.

The incident occurred when the families was picnicking at the popular beach despite the ban on swimming imposed by the provincial government’s Home Department during the monsoon season due to rough waters.

Sharing details of the incident, Karachi-South DIG Azad Khan informed Dawn.com that the tragedy occurred when one child got stuck in a ‘whirlpool’ near Turtle Beach and the others drowned while trying to save the child.

The deceased include a man, his teenage son and daughter, and two brothers, he added.

Mauripur police said that the residents of Nazimabad had arrived at Sandspit Beach, also known as Turtle Beach, for a picnic.

The DIG South said that the family members were prevented from swimming "multiple times" and at one point, they had even started gotten into their vehicle in order to return home. "However, one child ostensibly got stuck in the 'ditch' which led to this unfortunate incident."

The senior police official further said that the beach police post in-charge, Sub-Inspector Ismail, has been suspended over his failure to implement the ban on swimming.

According to Edhi Foundation spokesperson Saad Edhi, all 12 bodies have been recovered and sent to the hospital for fulfilling legal formalities.

“During the last month, at least 33 people have drowned whose bodies were recovered from the city's beaches,” Saad Edhi told Dawn.com.

He suggested that the authorities should bar the picnickers from coming to the beach, especially during this rough season.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1356618/12-picnickers-drown-at-karachis-hawksbay-beach-say-police

 

[waqar goraya]

These incidents keep repeating when trying to rescue a dear one many lose their own lives. But i don't remember so many deaths happening in this horrible way.

 

[Major]

Instead of placing bans, simple solution is having life guards

 

[saadibaba]

How many more have to die before something is done by our govt.

Have lost a dear school friend to this sea. He was drowning and the another young boy and only son of his parents, went deep to help him and they both end up dying. Knew a very fine gentleman in Karachi whose daughter who was champion swimmer drowned while saving a friend. He became a shell of himself after that tragedy.

People also should be careful but can't just blame them. There should be life guards or security guards/police to prevent people from going into deep waters. But just like that, a few more lives are lost in our great country, people like me cry and moan about it for a day and than move on to another tragedy.

 

[King-Misbah]

How many more have to die before something is done by our govt.

Have lost a dear school friend to this sea. He was drowning and the another young boy and only son of his parents, went deep to help him and they both end up dying. Knew a very fine gentleman in Karachi whose daughter who was champion swimmer drowned while saving a friend. He became a shell of himself after that tragedy.

People also should be careful but can't just blame them. There should be life guards or security guards/police to prevent people from going into deep waters. But just like that, a few more lives are lost in our great country, people like me cry and moan about it for a day and than move on to another tragedy.

Why do people go in the water when they cant swim? I can swim well but I know my limitations and would never go in deep water. Actually, I stay at shore and enjoy myself there. People need to mature up and take some responsibility.

 

[Eagle_Eye]

Why do people "picnic" near choppy waters? And why do people go into deep water knowing the current is strong and also when they cannot swim. Common sense fail

 

[Eagle_Eye]

Why do people go in the water when they cant swim? I can swim well but I know my limitations and would never go in deep water. Actually, I stay at shore and enjoy myself there. People need to mature up and take some responsibility.

always someone else has to be blamed.

 

[Slog]

always someone else has to be blamed.

Don't wanna blame anyone but any beach I've been to outside Pakistan (and I've been to several in Europe and US) has life guess and adequate safety measures

 

[DoosraTeesra]

Can a person who knows swimming still drown in such waters?

 

[Haroon786]

Like others have already mentioned, poignantly two things need to be taken from this:

- the public needs to be told/educated (don't care if this sounds condescending because it should be common sense) that you do not go in deep water if you can't swim and particularly when there is a strong current and thus conditions are even worse than usual.

- the government or who ever is the authority there needs to have appropriate security measures in place, with life guards being a minimum.

 

[shaz619]

RIP, really sad

 

[waqar goraya]

Can a person who knows swimming still drown in such waters?

Yes, strong waves can make swimmers drown.

 

[Suleiman]

Wow, was just telling my roommate about people drowning in this beach in Karachi last night. This has been an issue for a while now at Hawk's bay.

 

[Muhammad10]

Karachi beaches sealed in the wake of Saturday’s drownings

KARACHI: The city’s 64-kilometre-long coastal belt has been closed for the public for an indefinite period following the deaths of 12 members of a family at Hawke’s Bay.

Hawke’s Bay was closed for picnickers on Sunday following a horrifying incident in which 12 people drowned the day before. Some family members who had arrived from various areas in District Central such as Paposh Nagar, North Karachi and North Nazimabad, drowned while swimming in the sea while others were killed while trying to rescue their relatives. A woman and two children were among the victims.

“We stopped each and every person from picnicking on the beach today [Sunday],” confirmed Mauripur SHO Niaz Panwar. “It is not only at Hawke’s Bay. No one will be allowed at any beach across the entire coastal belt, particularly on Saturdays and Sundays.”
A large number of picnickers had arrived at Hawke’s Bay beach on Sunday but were stopped by the authorities. An extra contingent of law enforcers was deployed at the beach since early Sunday morning, which caused anger amongst revellers who had gone there to enjoy the beach. They also staged a protest against the police and government. “Instead of stopping the people, the government should make proper arrangements,” said a picnicker, Sarfaraz Khan.

Nearly 55 people, including three Saudi nationals, have lost their lives in the three months of the monsoon spell. Nearly 40 of them drowned at Hawke’s Bay.

Funeral prayers

The funeral prayers of 11 members of the family were offered on Sunday afternoon. A large number of people gathered at Babul Islam Masjid in North Karachi’s Sector 9 to attend the last rites. A gloom enveloped the congregation when the bodies were brought from the Edhi morgue in Sohrab Goth. Besides a large number of relatives and neighbours, Mayor Wasim Akhtar and leaders of several political parties also attended the funeral. The victims were laid to rest at the Muhammad Shah graveyard in North Karachi.

Meanwhile, the funeral prayers of the twelfth family members were offered after Asr prayers at Jama Masjid in Paposh Nagar.

The victims’ relatives blamed the government for the incident. “If there were lifeguards with proper equipment like motorboats at the beach there would be no loss of life,” complained a relative, Ahsan Iftikhar. “Usually the majority of the deaths occur in a bid to save the others and this happens because of the unavailability of lifeguards and speed boats at the beach.”

Edhi Foundation Spokesperson Saad Edhi told The Express Tribune that Hawke’s Bay and Sandspit are not suitable for swimming, as many sudden deaths have occurred there.

He added that there should be a permanent ban on swimming at these beaches, as such few lifeguards cannot protects thousands of picnickers at a beach that stretches 64km. Edhi said that though the number of lifeguards is few, however, he has seen their hard work and dedication. Citizens should have the sense not to go swimming in the sea when it is not the season, he said, adding that many do not even know how to swim.

A tough job

The city’s 64km coastal belt lacks proper lifeguard units working under one authority and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) emergency response centre at Hawke’s Bay is being run by the fire department with meagre resources at its disposal. But the KMC is not in charge of all of Karachi beaches. KMC officials said that Karachi’s 64km long coastal belt starts from Keti Bunder and goes right up to Mubarak Village. The KMC’s jurisdiction in this area is just 27km long.

The remaining 37km is looked after by other authorities such as the Port Qasim Authority, Landhi Fish Harbour (near Rehri Goth), Korangi Creek, Cantonment Board Clifton, Defence Housing Authority, Karachi Port Trust, Pakistan Navy, Cantonment Board Manora and Kanupp.

“The KMC’s jurisdiction in this area is just 27km long and it has only 46 lifeguards,” said Mayor Akhtar. “The provincial government should deploy mounted police force here.”

A senior resident of the area and lifeguard Anwar Baloch told The Express Tribune that the situation was better when former city nazim Naimatullah Khan involved local boys of their village situated near the sea on a contract basis and hired them as lifeguards. However, after Khan’s tenure ended the practice was stopped and the KMC hired permanent lifeguards, most of whom are rarely on duty or do not even know how to swim.

He added that the only solution is to involve locals, as they spend their days and nights in the sea and are well aware of how to swim. If they are paid, he said, they will perform their task well.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1502768/beaches-sealed-wake-saturdays-drownings/