Rescuers find 10 more bodies in rough seas near Karachi

Rescuers have recovered 10 more bodies in rough seas off Pakistan's biggest city, Karachi, as the search for a group of bathers who drowned earlier this week resumed on Friday, officials said.

The authorities said the total number of corpses has now reached 31.

Dozens of people died in the Arabian Sea near Karachi on Wednesday after defying a ban on swimming during the monsoon season.

The swimmers were among thousands who had taken to the beaches to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which began on Tuesday and continues until Friday.

"We have pulled out more dead bodies from the sea. The total number of people who drowned has now reached 31," Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, Karachi's top administrator told AFP.

Officials said they could not say that all the bodies had been recovered.

"We will continue the search operation as we are still not sure about the number of missing picnickers," Siddiqui said.

On Wednesday, senior police officer Ibadat Nisar said officers had discovered three bodies washed up at upscale Clifton Beach on Wednesday evening, prompting a wider search operation that was suspended overnight and then resumed on Thursday.

Navy helicopters and speedboats were leading the search operation, both along the coast and in the open ocean.

"Our teams are looking for bodies up to 15 nautical miles out," said commander S.M. Kamran, the navy spokesman. "But beyond that, our big boats are also watching out for any stray bodies."

Several ambulances were seen on the beach where relatives of some of the missing anxiously awaited word of their loved ones.

Thousands of residents regularly throng Karachi's beaches on public holidays as the city has few public parks available for picnics. But safety standards are low, with the few lifeguards on duty often unable to exert any authority.

Karachi, a teeming city of 20 million people, is Pakistan's economic hub.

(China Daily 08/02/2014 page11)