SEHWAN: The third and final day of the of the 766th death anniversary of Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar was marked by intense heat which led to the death of 11 people.
According to the Sehwan Edhi centre in-charge Mairaj Qureshi, 11 bodies were brought to the centre and the causes of all their deaths were associated with a heart attack due to the heat.
Mairaj added that out of the 11, eight deceased have been turned over to their relatives while the three unidentified bodies have been buried. The deceased belonged to Faisalabad, Chichawatni, Multan, Bahawalpur, Samundri, Jhang and Vehari.
Surprisingly, on the other hand, Jamshoro Deputy Commissioner Fareedudin Mustafa has denied that any deaths have occurred.
Every year thousands of devotees flock down to Sehwan Sharif to commemorate the death anniversary of the Sufi saint.
The visitors come prepared to stay in the city throughout the urs (death anniversary commemoration) with some renting houses from locals, while others carry tents with them for their sojourn.
Lal Shahbaz Qalandar’s urs is held at Sehwan on the 18 of Shaaban, the eighth month of the Muslim calendar.
On each morning of the three-day feast, Sehwan is packed with pilgrims and devotees who sing and indulge in trance-like dance from early morning till night. Folk singers from different regions of the country are also part of the event.