At least 19 bathers drowned and four are missing in the rough seas off Karachi, officials said on Thursday, after defying a ban on swimming in rough waters during the monsoon season.

“Nineteen bodies have been pulled out of the sea while the search for four more people continues,” Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, the city’s top administrator told AFP. The bathers were among thousands who had taken to the beaches to celebrate Eid holidays.
Eighteen of the bodies were recovered off the Clifton Beach area (Sea View), while one was found off Hawks Bay.