Pakistan: 18 killed when boat capsizes in Arabian Sea

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan

Over 40 survivors have been rescued and at least 18 bodies recovered after a boat capsized in the Arabian Sea near the port city of Karachi, police and local media reported Thursday.

The ill-fated boat -- which carried over 100 passengers, including women and children -- overturned due to heavy winds coupled with rough seas some 3.2 nautical miles (6 kilometers) from the village of Bohara, local ARY News reported.

Other media reports suggested that the boat overturned following a collision with another boat.

The passengers were on their way to attend a ceremony at a Sufi shrine at Bohara in the Thatta district, some 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the commercial capital of Karachi.

A spokesman for the chief minister of Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital, confirmed the death of 18 people, including five women and two children.

Authorities fear a further rise in the death toll as search and rescue operations involving navy and coastguards are still underway, according to a statement from Pakistan Navy.