Karachi: A picnic meant for fun turned into tragedy on Wednesday when three final-year students of Dow Medical College drowned at Manora Beach, while one more student remains missing and another is battling for life at Civil Hospital Karachi.
According to officials, a group of around 15 students of Dow Medical College had gone to Manora Himalaya Beach on a private picnic without informing the university administration. While they were swimming in the sea, strong waves dragged several of them deep into the water. Rescue teams managed to save three students, but three others could not survive. The search operation to locate one missing student is still underway.
Principal Dow Medical College, Dr. Saba Sohail, said the college had already organized an official picnic for around 150 final-year students who travelled in university-arranged buses accompanied by guards, and all of them returned safely. “Every year, final-year students go on an official picnic under supervision. Unfortunately, this small group of fifteen students went privately without notifying us. Around 2 pm, we were informed about the incident and immediately rushed to the hospital,” she said.
Dr. Sohail added that three bodies were recovered and two injured students were brought to Civil Hospital Karachi. “One of the rescued students is in the ICU, while another two are stable and being treated in the ward,” she said, adding that one student remains untraced and efforts are continuing to find him.
Medical Superintendent of Civil Hospital Karachi, Dr. Khalid Bukhari, confirmed the casualties and said the deceased have been identified as Ahmed Kashif, Asharib, and Ashar. He said another student, Abdul Majeed, was initially in a critical condition but has now been stabilized and shifted to the intensive care unit. “Two other students were also brought to the hospital and are now out of danger,” he said.
Witnesses and friends of the victims said the group was playing near the shoreline when some of them slipped into deeper water and were caught by strong currents. “Rescue teams and lifeguards managed to pull them out after great effort, but three of them had already drowned,” one student said.
The university administration expressed profound grief over the tragic loss of its students and extended condolences to the bereaved families. In a statement, the administration said it is fully cooperating with authorities in investigating the incident and will review safety protocols for any future student activities.
Rescue officials said the search for the missing student would continue until sunset and resume early Thursday morning if required. The bodies of the deceased students were shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for medico-legal formalities and later handed over to their families.
The incident has shocked the Dow University community, where students and teachers held special prayers for the departed souls and the early recovery of the injured.
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