Eid al-Fitr tragedy: Bodies of 30 drowned picnickers recovered

A Pakistani Navy Sea King helicopter flies a search and recovery mission for missing swimmers (Getty Images)

The Pakistani navy has recovered the bodies of at least 30 people who drowned earlier this week when strong winds hit the coast near Karachi, a spokesman said today.

Navy spokesman Kamran Asif said rescue crews were using boats and helicopters in the search operation which was launched last Wednesday.

"So far, the bodies of 30 persons have been recovered, and efforts are underway to trace those who are still missing," he said.

An undetermined number of picnickers were swept away on Wednesday because of heavy winds on beaches near Karachi, the capital of southern Sindh province.

A large number of people had ignored safety warnings about the weather and gathered on the beaches at the time to celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan.

Karachi is Pakistan's largest city and thousands of people visit its beaches during holidays.

AP