- A man, later identified as Aurangzeb Alam, jumped into the sea at Karachi’s Do Darya with his two minor children, Ahmed and Ayat, on Thursday, August 1, 2025.
- After an intense rescue effort involving police, Edhi Foundation, and the Pakistan Navy, the children’s bodies were recovered on Friday and the father’s on Saturday near China Port.
- The incident followed a family court hearing over child custody, which was reportedly settled amicably hours before the tragedy.
A heart-wrenching tragedy unfolded on Thursday afternoon at Karachi’s Do Darya when a man jumped into the sea along with his two young children. All three remained missing until the bodies were recovered over the next two days, rescue officials and police confirmed.
Aurangzeb Alam, aged between 35 and 40, along with his son Ahmed and daughter Ayat, aged around 7–8, was first seen by eyewitnesses running toward the sea near a seaside high-rise, reportedly shouting “pani, pani (water, water)” before plunging into the rough waters.
The incident prompted an hours-long search and rescue operation led by Edhi Foundation volunteers, police, lifeguards, and Pakistan Navy personnel. However, strong currents and nightfall halted operations on Thursday without any recoveries.
“Initially, Edhi Foundation volunteers carried out a two-hour search and rescue operation but could not trace any of the three persons,” said South-DIG Syed Asad Raza. “Subsequently, lifeguards and PN personnel joined in the operation but without any success.”
The bodies of the two children were discovered on Friday morning at Seaview beach. The father’s body was found floating near China Port on Saturday morning by Edhi lifeguards.
Custody Dispute Prior to Tragedy
South DIG Syed Asad Raza revealed that the children’s maternal uncle, Rameez Husain, provided a written statement detailing events prior to the incident. According to Mr. Rameez, Alam and his wife had appeared before a court on July 31 regarding a child custody petition (No 3290/2024), which was reportedly settled amicably.
Following the hearing, the couple and their children went to a restaurant at Burns Road for lunch. “Subsequently, he [Alam] left the restaurant, saying he needed to go to the toilet. He took his children with him and did not return,” said Mr. Rameez. The family reported the incident to police via Madadgar-15 and filed an application at Aram Bagh Police Station.
Authorities Consider Safety Measures
Authorities noted that Do Darya, located between a graveyard and the Golf Club, has become an increasingly popular picnic spot, raising concerns about public safety.
“The possibility of drowning incidents has increased,” said DIG Raza. “It was decided to approach the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) for making arrangements to restrict free movement of people towards the dangerous zone of the beach by raising a wall or installing a fence.”
South-SSP Mahzoor Ali confirmed that the incident was first reported to Madadgar-15 at around 3 p.m. Eyewitnesses told police they saw a man in black shalwar kameez jump into the sea with two children.
Chief Minister Expresses Grief
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy. According to his spokesperson, the CM described the incident as “heart-wrenching” and ordered a thorough inquiry.
He initially directed the district administration and police to expedite the rescue operation. “Mr. Shah urged people to ensure precaution while visiting beach areas,” the spokesperson said. “He also asked them to strictly heed the directives from the authorities concerned to avoid such tragic incidents.”
